Johto Records
by potatomat0
Summary: After a devastating loss in the Ever Grande Conference, Brendan has settled down into his life as a Pokemon researcher alongside Wally. However, when he is sent to travel in an unfamiliar region alongside other trainers as a ragtag group full of contrasting personalities, he may have each bitten off more than he can chew.
1. Start in Sinnoh

**Well, this I my first fanfic. I got plenty of inspiration from reading plenty of others. The main characters will be several characters from the games I really liked. It was a wonder why they never appeared in the anime-verse outside the occasional cameo here and there. Anyway, the Pokémon will be limited to Gen 1-4 though others may appear later on too. Enjoy and tell me what you think :)**

* * *

**Lake Verity, Sinnoh-11:41**

Brendan Birch lay on the grass, gloved hands tucked behind his head as he watched the clouds idly drift by. He had been in the same position for nearly half an hour and he was growing increasingly restless as he plucked a blade of grass to twirl between his fingers. Two days ago, his father, Professor Birch, had planned to send him and Wally to Johto in order to further his study of Pokémon native to that particular region. He intended to leave early as he also wanted to challenge the gyms but several professors from other regions had asked him to meet them in Sinnoh before they go. To fulfil some sort of favour as they had put it.

He had groaned at the idea, wanting to visit Johto as early as possible. After a day of travelling to Sinnoh by ship, he and Wally had camped out in Lake Verity until now where they had been waiting until noon.

Nearby, Brendan's Swampert crawled stealthily, watching a flock of Starly nearby. The teen glanced at the Pokémon absentmindedly, noting the cheery yet determined look upon its face. With a push of its mighty legs, The Mud Fish Pokémon leaped into the air towards the flock of Starly. The birds, noticing their attacker, scattered away into the air. The look on the Swampert's face instantly shifted from one of confidence into fear as it came crashing down face-first into the ground. The Pokémon instinctively shifted its body into a roll which sent it tumbling into a nearby tree.

The teen chuckled and got to his feet and went over to where his Pokémon lay. An Oran berry landed on the Mud Fish Pokémon's face, knocking it out of his dazed state. Its trainer came over, smiling while ruffling his hair through his snow white cap. He picked up the berry and polished it against his buttoned shirt before taking a large bite of its juicy flesh and extended his hand to the Pokémon. The Swampert seemed to grin and grabbed on to his trainer's gloved hand with its own large, rough hands and pulled itself up, grunting as it did so.

"How much longer, Wally?" the boy asked as he turned to face his friend sitting on a nearby log.

The boy he addressed stopped typing on his laptop and looked up, his messy green hair shining against the sunlight. He dug into the right pocket of his cargo pants to pulled out a PokéNav and tapped a button to check the time. His face lit up as he pocketed the device before saving the report he was typing and shutting down his laptop. He then proceeded to slide the laptop into his backpack and stood up.

"Let's go," he said cheerily, zipping up the backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

Brendan brought out a Net ball and recalled his starter. Most starters would be issued to trainers in a simple Poké ball to new trainers but his father had insisted he catch his own. So, a young Brendan had spent hours a day on his own, researching of most suitable type of ball for catching the Mudkip he wanted before settling on a Net ball due to its improved catch rate among water Pokémon. Brendan smiled at the Net ball, recalling the memory of his first capture before slipping it back at the front of his Poké ball belt as he followed Wally to the exit of Lake Verity.

* * *

**Route 201, Sinnoh-11:55**

"So, what do you think Professor Rowan wants?" Wally asked.

Brendan looked at his friend. Wally had changed completely in the years that he had known him. No longer was he a sick and shy boy. He now faced the world with renewed spirit and approached any challenge head on. His asthma had seemed to fade for he was rarely short of breath whenever they were outdoors, studying Pokémon. He couldn't remember the last time he had an asthma attack.

"I dunno. Maybe he wants us to deliver a parcel or bring him back a Pokémon," he answered idly. "Johto pretty much have plenty of native ones over there. Some are practically even non-existant in the other regions."

"Yeah, but if he wanted to do that he could have asked Professor Elm or something," Wally replied, indulged in the conversation.

"I guess. What do you think he wants?"

"I think he wants to send a representative."

"A what?"

"You know. He heard about our little expedition and decided to send one of his assistants along. To accompany us and whatnot. Maybe report our findings back to him and stuff," the boy replied nonchalantly, lacing his fingers behind his neck as he shut his eyes.

"Latios, I hope not."

"What?" Wally asked, opening one eye to peer at him.

"I don't want some older guy there, treating us like kids and acting like we don't know what we're doing."

"Yeah, one of you is enough"

"I heard that," Brendan stated as he glared at a chuckling Wally.

"Honestly, though,' Brendan continued, exhaling sharply. "Most aides treat us like crap because of our age. They think we get special treatment or something from professors even though we don't. We work just as hard as everyone else. Heck, remember that one guy who tried passing off our research as his own?"

"This rant again? How could I forget? You sent Rono loose on him. I didn't think a person could run that fast," Wally chuckled, his cheery tone starkly contrasting the pessimistic nature of his friend. "Besides, they seem to treat you just fine."

"That's cause my dad is their boss," Brendan replied gloomily he kicked a rock, sending it rolling down the steep pathway before them.

The rock Brendan had kicked tumbled off the narrow pathway and hit a small furry Pokémon of sorts, coming to a stop as it bounced against its plump body. The Bidoof looked to them and hissed angrily which was unusual since Bidoof were usually timid creatures. It began charging their way attempting a simple Tackle. Brendan reached for his Swampert but hesitated when he recalled the information, allowing Wally to roll his eyes, whipping out his Sceptile who finished off the angry Bidoof with a single Leaf Blade as the teens approached the end of route 201.

"Hurry up, old-timer," Wally called pulling ahead towards the entrance of Sandgem Town as he returned the Grass Pokemon. "We don't want to be late."

"I told you, it's a hat," Brendan muttered darkly as he began pacing after him.

"I know," Wally laughed as he broke into a run, zooming past a bewildered couple as his hair flayed wildly against the wind. Brendan shook his head before sprinting after him, leaving a trail of dust in his wake as the two approached the cobbled path of Sandgem.

* * *

**Sandgem Town, Sinnoh-12:02**

The two boys arrived in Sandgem Town and walked to Professor Rowan's laboratory, a large building made out of wood, tiles and glass which complimented the breezy Sinnoh weather. Brendan knocked on the heavy wooden door loudly and a second later, they were greeted by a boy about their age. He wore a black vest over a white t-shirt as well as baggy jeans and a red scarf wrapped neatly around his neck. On his left wrist was what Wally noted to be a Pokétch, which had the same function as Hoenn's own PokéNav. However, the oddest thing about him was the beret lying on the head of his short messy hair.

"Can I help you?" He inquired politely.

"We're here to see Professor Rowan," Wally answered.

"Bring them in, Lucas," a gruff, old voice sounded. The boy, Lucas, let them into the lab and guided them to where the professor was waiting. Wally whistled lowly and Brendan nodded at him. Unlike his father's lab, Professor Rowan had seemed to keep his in a more orderly state. Some loose sheets of paper with unknown writing lay scattered on a nearby desk. However, besides that, the desk was unnaturally bare. Large familiar machinery were aligned against the walls against the walls. Even the lab's tiled floor was gleaming; something that Brendan had admired as he could not remember the last time he had not seen spots of mud tracking all over his father's lab.

"Boys," Professor Rowan shouted in either pleasure or dismay, it was hard to tell. "So glad you could meet me here."

"It's no problem, sir," Brendan replied. Professor Rowan was a tall old man, perhaps of sixty or seventy, with a face hard as stone and with a gruff old voice to match. Nobody could ever tell if he was happy or sad or angry, as a thick moustache hid his mouth, masking his facial expressions and giving him an aura of intimidation due to his strict eyes which gave off an occasional friendly gleam.

"I heard about your trip from your father and I was wondering if you could do me a favour. You see, in all my years studying Pokémon, I have been confined to the Sinnoh region. Sure, I've visited Kanto once but I've never really done a thorough research of the Pokémon there. When I heard of your trip, I was ecstatic. I've already talked to your father, Brendan and I would like to send one of my assistants with you."

"Told you," Wally muttered under his breath silently.

The man let out a scoff or a chuckle. It was hard to tell. "Then you're a smart one," he stated, watching Wally's dumbfounded face.

"Lucas, come over here," Rowan said as he motioned towards the boy.

"This is Lucas Berlitz, he'll be accompanying you," he stated and turned Lucas to face them, hands firmly on his shoulders.

"Sir?" Lucas said, turning around to face him confused.

"Frankly Lucas, your work here isn't living up to your potential and I believe you could be better out there, in the field, alongside other assistants. You might even learn a thing or two," he said as his moustache shifted. He was smiling.

"Dad?" Lucas turned to a man behind a desk.

"We've talked about it, son. I think it's a great opportunity," the man said with another smile.

"Well, what do you boys say?" Rowan questioned, watching Brendan and Wally.

Brendan was about to speak when Wally broke into a grin, bursting, "Sure! The more the merrier."

"I've already upgraded your Pokédex, Lucas. This way, you can register national Pokémon. Go on, get out of here, all of you," Rowan said with a smile and patted Lucas on the back.

Lucas backed away slowly and headed towards the door in awe, Brendan and Wally following.

"So, Lucas. What do you know about Johto," Mr Berlitz heard as the three boys headed out.

"He'll be alright," Rowan assured as he approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "They're smart lads. They all are. Especially Lucas. It'll be good for him to mix with others his age. They can look out for each other."

They had known each other for years. Their families each working together to uncover the secrets of Pokémon in Sinnoh.

"He always was a curious one," Mr Berlitz replied, sighing.

"That's what I like about him, always a mind racing full of inquiry. As soon as he knows 'What?' the next question on his mind will always be 'Why?'" before adding. "He reminds me a lot of you, you know?"

"I know, I see it myself," Lucas' father said, smiling as he watched the three boys laughing from the window.


	2. Onwards To Eterna City

**So, some of Brendan and Lucas' Pokémon will be based off a mixture of cameos and the manga. In Wally and Leaf's case, I'm just going to be improvising most of it. Also, they'll be in Sinnoh a little longer than expected but the story will get rolling on pretty soon. Sound off in the comments about what you think :)**

* * *

**Sandgem Town, Sinnoh-12:17**

Lucas swung the lab door open and felt the cool autumn breeze against his perspired face. He closed his eyes and breathed in salty scent of the sea that Sandgem town was well known for. Stepping outside, he felt like a whole new person. He always feared that Rowan could fire him especially since he had lost his briefcase several times.

He stretched and gave out a cry of laughter. No longer was he another assistant cooped up late at night within the small confines of a lab, writing endless energy drink-fuelled reports to meet deadlines too soon for his own comfort. He was going to explore and experience new sights all in another region.

"So Lucas, what do you know about Johto?" A voice behind him asked.

Lucas turned around to face the two boys behind him. He gave them a smile and took a good long look at his new travelling companions. The taller one wore a button up black shirt with an orange Poké ball design. Along his chest was the strap of a green sling backpack. His head was adorned with a green headband with another Poké ball symbol and a white knit cap made out of fur which could be easily mistaken for his hair. The other boy grinned at him with mischievous green eyes that matched his green hair. He wore a white long sleeved shirt and green cargo pants and carried a black laptop backpack.

"Not much," Lucas said a tint of shame in his voice. "Most of my time is spent here, in Sinnoh, cooped up in the lab."

"Well, that's no problem, you're gonna love field work," came the reply with a warm smile. "I'm Brendan by the way. Brendan Birch. That's Wally."

Wally stepped forward and put his arm around Lucas, pulling him along.

"So where to now, Bren?" he asked.

"Actually," Lucas stated, adjusting the beret on his head. "I have to run home and get some stuff."

* * *

**Berlitz Manor, Sandgem Town, Sinnoh-12:29**

As Brendan and Wally followed Lucas, they admired most Sandgem Town along the way. When they approached the Berlitz home, they stared wide-eyed at the sheer size of it. Instead of a simple house they were accustomed to, it was a large mansion, easily dwarfing any other houses in Sandgem. It was a large brown building made out of bricks and mortar and consisted of a dark brown and white colour scheme. The roof was made of blue tiles and several chimneys protruded from it. Lucas only smiled shyly back at their stares.

Wally whistled in awe as they walked into the house while Lucas shut the heavy wooden door behind them. Its interior was as he had pictured most mansions in his head. Various paintings of Pokémon and important looking people adjourned the walls and several modern sculptures of marble and clay stood around the place. A large staircase stood in the middle of the room, leading the way to the upper floor which consisted of a balcony with several doors behind it. He could make out the living room from a nearby doorway, full of various couches and armchairs which all surrounded a large fireplace.

"Welcome home, Master Lucas," A kindly, old voice sounded. "I see you have brought guests."

The boys turned to face an elderly man in a suit, his eyes hidden behind round spectacles.

"My apologies," he continued. "If I knew you were coming and bringing guests, I would have prepared refreshments."

"It's alright, Sebastian," Lucas replied politely. He turned to face the other two. "Do you guys want anything?"

"I think we're good," Brendan replied, smiling nervously.

"Sebastian, I'll be in Johto for a while, doing work for Professor Rowan. I'm not sure when I'll be back. Please take care of Lucy and say goodbye to grandpa for me," Lucas said.

"Very well then. Have a safe trip, sir," Sebastian said as he bowed and walked away.

Lucas ran up to the elder man and hugged him. "I'll miss you too, old man," he stated, laughing as Sebastian, shocked, returned the hug with a kindly smile.

Lucas broke the embrace and ran up the stairs. "I won't take long," he shouted to Brendan and Wally from above the stairs. "You guys make yourself at home."

Brendan looked at Wally wandering around. He was obviously a little uncomfortable with all this fanciness. Personally, he was too. They both had lived in Hoenn their whole lives and the houses in Hoenn, even the larger ones, usually opted for very simple interior design. Brendan walked over and tried out on a nearby armchair. The teen sunk into the soft material and his muscles instinctively loosened. Even his bed back in Hoenn had never felt this soft.

"So why do you think the heir of a rich and powerful family wants to research Pokémon instead of living off his family's wealth?" Wally asked, confusion in his voice as he picked up several glass figures and observed them up close. "I mean, I love researching as much as the next guy but shouldn't people like him be too concerned going sailing and playing croquet to bother?"

Brendan merely chuckled at the stereotype and shrugged then proceeded to look through his Pokédex. Wally soon grew bored and plopped into a couch opposite him before taking a nap.

Eventually, Lucas came down noisily, running down the stairs, two at a time. This had woken Wally, causing him to fall out of the couch with a startled yell, landing on the marble floor. He rubbed his head and looked up. Lucas now wore a blue vest with a vertical white stripe. He carried a yellow backpack and slipped five Pokéballs into into his belt, his little sister following behind him. He gave her a quick hug and a goodbye before turning to his friends, smiling widely.

"Where to next?"

* * *

**Eterna City, Sinnoh-16:25**

Brendan looked at his PokéNav to check the time. "We're early," he said, almost cheering. It took them several hours to travel to Eterna City. Especially since there were multiple trainers challenging them to battles. Due to their experience, they managed to clear the battles easily, collecting a notable sum of prize money as reward.

Professor Oak, who they were about to meet, was the head Pokémon Researcher in Kanto and a close friend of Professor Rowan. As a result, he often visited the Sinnoh region aften and owned a home in Eterna City where he and his grandson would usually live. None of the three had ever met Oak's grandson. He was said to be older than them by only a year and had already accomplished more as a researcher than the three of them put together. Every young researcher looked up to him and if the grandson of Professor Oak were to join them on their journey, they would welcome him with open arms.

Lucas munched on a donut as he walked. During their short journey, they had noted that Lucas was a bit of a glutton, despite his slim figure as this was the fourth donut he had consumed. The boy had also appeared lazy and slow-witted. However, in the battles they had watched, the young assistant was actually incredibly perceptive and intelligent, making use of various strategies and tactics to overcome his Pokémon's lack of speed.

Upon arriving at Eterna City, the first thing the three teens had noticed was the large statue of a legendary Pokémon which seemed to be a combination of Dialga and Palkia, the two Pokémon of time and space. Noting their interest, Lucas cheerfully explained the legend behind Sinnoh's creation that he heard as a young boy about the legendary Arceus and the Creation trio. Feeling hungry, they then located a nearby ramen shop and proceeded to find seats for the three of them. Despite its small, cosy exterior, the shop was full of hungry customers and was rather hectic with people yelling their orders and waiters rushing to serve bowls of ramen. The three teens quickly located a small booth next to a window and went to sit down, narrowly avoiding getting ramen spilt on them by the oncoming waiters several times.

The booth was between two other booths. The one to the left sat a large family of five, noisily slurping ramen. At the right, a spiky haired boy argued with the girl across him, their bowls empty. Brendan and Wally took the left seat and Lucas took the right. Lucas then discarded his beret and scarf, shoving them in his backpack whereas Brendan insisted keeping his cap on. Looking at the menu, Brendan and Wally instantly chose what they wanted and ordered from a nearby waitress. Lucas pondered on what he wanted for several minutes before placing his order of three different bowls to an annoyed waitress.

The three were talking about the two new Eevee evolutionary forms discovered in Sinnoh. Lucas explained about the rocks that caused the evolutions and Brendan made a mental note to take a look at them when they return to the region.

"So, they just have to be near the rocks?" Wally asked loudly in a baffled tone causing several people to stare at them.

"Well, yeah. You just have to have an Eevee near one of the rocks. We found that the Moss Rock gives off an energy signature similar to a Leaf Stone, allowing the Eevee to evolve into a Leafeon."

"Can't you just use a Leaf Stone and get the same result? I mean, similar to a Leaf stone, right?"

"Well, we tried that but the Moss Rock seems to expel stronger energy signatures than a simple Leaf Stone, which explains why in other regions Eevee are immune to Leaf Stones despite the effect of other elemental evolutionary stones," Lucas replied calmly.

Brendan just smiled and looked at his two companions. No other two people he knew could be as contrasting as these two. In a way, Lucas reminded him of Wally when he began his journey. He had known Wally for several years, meeting him the first time he challenged Norman to a gym battle back in Petalburg City. Norman had refused due to his lack of experience. It was at that time that Wally had come into the gym, shy and timid, asking in a soft voice for a Pokémon to begin his journey which Norman had generously offered to the younger residents of Petalburg. Norman, sensing his potential, had asked Brendan to for his help in assisting Wally to catch one. The two boys had wandered a little bit in route 102 where they had encountered a pair of Ralts, siblings, as they assumed. As a result, they had both caught a Ralts each. Eventually, Wally's had evolved into a graceful Gardevoir whereas Brendan's had become a silent Gallade. To this day, the two Pokémon are still as close as ever as were their trainers. Brendan looked at the Pokeball of his Gallade as it shifted slightly as the Blade Pokémon read his trainer's thoughts and smiled at it. Wally had now developed his own interests in breeding as well as Pokémon researching, accompanying Brendan and recording field reports in his laptop. However, he would still participate in gym battles every now and then.

Soon, their ramen had arrived and they began eating while Wally described one of his favourite gym battles a story Brendan had already heard many, many times. He slammed a fist on the table and pointed a spoon in Lucas' direction. 'And that's how I bested Juan!' he cried with a mouthful of ramen as he pulled out his badge case and showed off the Rain Badge to the boy as he sweat dropped. The whole table shook, causing several other customers to watch the commotion that the green haired boy had caused.

"Hey can you keep it down over there," a voice sounded from the booth next to them. "I can't yell at this pesky girl if she can't hear what I'm saying."

The two boys looked at the person staring at them. Brendan with the end of his chopsticks between his teeth and Wally, mouth jaws wide open and a firm grip on a spoonful of ramen. Lucas had long strings of ramen at his mouth and when he turned, the motion had caused the ends of the noodles to slap unceremoniously against the person's face which caused him to give out a cry of surprise.

The boy had spiky chestnut brown hair and wore a black polo shirt. His hands were at his face, wiping hot soup away from his eyes as he cursed. Lucas quickly slurped up the noodles at his mouth and muttered a quick apology.

"Oh, calm down, Gary," the girl behind him chirped and smiled their way. "They seem like nice guys." She got up and sat next to Lucas cheerfully, ignoring the curses of the boy behind her and gave them a smile.

Up close, they realized that she was a pretty girl about their age. In addition to her chestnut brown hair, she wore a white hat with a pink Pokéball symbol and a turquoise and black sleeveless shirt as well as a red miniskirt. At her side was a yellow messenger bag.

"Hi, I'm Leaf," the girl chirped. "Leaf Green. And that fool behind me is Gary." She pointed behind her.

All three boys watched her closely upon hearing her name, expecting her to burst out laughing. It was a strange name to say the least. Definitely not one that you would expect to hear very often.

The boy called Gary walked over and sat next to Leaf, ignoring her remarks. The table they previously occupied was instantly taken up by a group of people. Gary cried out in surprise at them though they paid him no mind.

"Well, there goes our table. I guess we'll just have to share yours," Leaf said cheerfully. "You boys don't look like you're from around here," she continued, looking towards Brendan and Wally.

Before Brendan could open his mouth, Wally stuck out his hand and replied, "That's because we're not. We're from Hoenn, babe."

"Pleased to meet you," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Right back at you," Wally said and he gave her a mischievous grin and winked.

The girl simply rolled her eyes with a smile. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, we're here to meet Professor Oak. He told us to meet him at his home here." Brendan answered.

Lucas looked up from his third bowl of ramen, nodded and gave a relaxed smile, "Do you know where it is?" he asked, speaking for the first time.

"Sure," the girl replied and grinned, slapping Gary on the shoulder. "Gary here knows all about Professor Oak. You could say he's his number one fan."

Gary just looked at her with an annoyed look at his face. "Yeah, I can take you there," he said. "Finish up and we'll go."

The three researchers thanked him in unison and proceeded to finish their ramen quickly, full of anticipation. Not only could they be meeting the famous Professor, they could also be seeing his grandson, whom all three idolized.

Gary watched them, surprised at their anticipation then smiled. Leaf just chuckled slightly. Lucas looked up at them and returned his gaze.

"Sorry again," he said.

"No worries," Gary replied.


	3. And That Makes Four

**So** **most of this chapter will be taken up by a battle. Sorry to those who aren't huge fans of reading battles but it's a Pokémon fanfic anyway. Special thanks to Richthew for the lovely comments. Let me know what you think of the battle or even if you want it shorter next time. Comments always appreciated. Enjoy :)**

* * *

**Eterna City, Sinnoh-17:20**

Lucas Berlitz munched on the cookie in his right hand, chewing the dry snack thoroughly. It was one of the many snacks he had packed within the containers in his backpack. The strap of the heavy backpack he carried began to dig into his shoulder so he used his free hand to grasp it, clenching it tightly and relieving his aching shoulder of the weight.

Just not too long ago, Professor Rowan sent him on a life changing journey which, he admittedly felt a slight frustration about, had not actually began yet. Nevertheless, he hid his discontent behind a masked smile. After all, not many other researchers under Professor Rowan were allowed to travel to other regions freely. The travelling group he was in had already finished up their earlier meal of ramen. Leaving the money on the table, they were led towards Professor Oak's home by two other Trainers they had just met while eating.

The five teens walked in a group through Eterna City, though, noticeably, at different speeds. Gary was at the front, confidently leading the way, Brendan at his side. The two teens were talking about their water starters and several strategies they employed, though it sounded vaguely like they were trying to one-up each other. Wally and Leaf were behind them, Wally, clicking his tongue and winking following an attempted pick-up line and Leaf punching him playfully on the shoulder. Lucas drifted along at the rear of the group, working to prevent his scarf or beret from being blown away by the strong winds.

Before long, they approached a quaint little wooden house painted white with a blue door and yellow tiled roof. Gary came to a stop, prompting the other teens to pause and look at him. He then walked forward and knocked the door casually, causing it to swing open. Standing at the doorway was an elderly man dressed in a lab coat over a purple dress shirt. Despite the kind expression he wore on his face, his eyes alone could give the impression that he was in a serious mood. His grey hair and eyes displaying the wisdom he possessed from his many years. The man was Professor Samuel Oak, one of the most well-known Pokémon researchers in the world and he looked towards the group and smiled.

"Gary, my boy," he said cheerfully. "I see you've brought my guests. Thank you."

"S' no problem, gramps," Gary replied casually, giving him a small shrug of the shoulders.

Brendan and Wally stared wide-eyed at Gary.

"You're Professor Oak's grandson?" they both shrieked. Lucas just looked at him with lazy eyes, mildly interested. Leaf and Gary laughed at them and Professor Oak chuckled amusedly.

"Why don't you all come inside," Oak suggested warmly, gesturing into the house. "I just made some tea."

* * *

**Oak home, Eterna City, Sinnoh-17:41**

The teens had entered the house and settled in a small living area on several flowery- patterned couches. The interior of the house was brightly decorated, reflecting the personality of the cheery professor. Oak had brought over a tray of empty teacups and a teapot, serving tea into each cup before handing them out among the five Trainers. He then took one for himself and sat in an orange armchair, facing them and sipping at his tea.

"So Brendan, I'll just cut to the chase," he began. "Leaf, here, is going to be accompanying you."

Brendan just thought and nodded slowly, drinking his tea. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wally grinning madly and performing a small but noticeable fist pump. Lucas, gulping his tea down quickly, merely looked on amusedly and turned his gaze to Leaf, who returned his gaze, smiling. He didn't know quite what to make of her just yet. He didn't really have that much experience interacting with other people his age, much less a girl.

"You don't have to worry about pulling her weight," Oak assured proudly. "Leaf, here, is one of my best students. I'm sure she'll make a great addition to your group."

"Alright, then," Brendan said, standing up and sighed to himself. He was not too comfortable with a large travelling group but he couldn't refuse Professor Oak as he knew him ever since he was a young boy. The man was like a distant uncle to him. Bringing a girl into a group of boys might just end up creating unwanted drama within the group depending on her behaviour. "We better get going."

"Not quite yet, Birch," Gary said with a smirk. "Before you go, I'd like to have a battle with you if you don't mind. I want to test my mettle against that Swampert you're so proud about. What do you say?"

Wally rolled his eyes at the challenge. He already knew what the answer was going to be.

Brendan's face lit up at the thought of battling a powerful Trainer. "You're on."

* * *

**Eterna City, Sinnoh-18:09**

Gary and Brendan stood on opposite ends of a makeshift Pokémon battle field near a small lake. The ground was of sandy terrain with battle lines were drawn over them with white powder. Professor Oak sat with Wally Lucas and Leaf on a nearby bench under the shade of a tree to watch the battle. It was decided that they would each use three Pokémon as that was the amount that Gary currently had on him.

Brendan nervously ran his thumb over the Poké balls at his belt. The grandson of Professor Oak was said to be an incredibly skilled Trainer, placing rather well in the Indigo Plateau Conference and the Silver Conference several years ago. Who knows how strong he could have become in the time that had passed. Brendan mentally ran through each of his Pokémon's moveset before tightening his grip on a Luxury ball.

_Yeah, it's about time, _he thought to himself.

Gary simply stood opposite him, arms crossed and a smirk on his face. A Poké ball was grasped in one of his hands. He had already picked which Pokémon to start with a while back.

"You ready yet, Birch?" he taunted. "Sometime today would be nice."

Brendan licked his lips. "Quit your talking and let's do this. You're the one who wanted a battle, weren't you?" he replied, laughing.

The Luxury ball he tossed sent out a Lairon. It landed on the ground with a mighty thud and roared loudly, scratching its steel claws against the dirt.

Opposite, Gary's had sent out his Umbreon which silently observed its opponent with its blood red eyes, its ears twitching at the slightest movement.

_'His Lairon hasn't even evolved yet, it can't be that tough,'_ Gary thought, smirking.

"Rono, Iron Head," Brendan commanded.

"Dodge it and use Double Team"

Lairon charged towards the Umbreon which easily leaped over it. Missing its target, the Lairon dug its claws into the ground to prevent it from crashing and turned around. It was surrounded by multiple copies of Umbreon, each running circles around it.

"His Lairon can't keep up with Umbreon," Professor Oak stated to the others. "It outclasses it in speed rather easily."

_'What are you thinking, Brendan?' _Wally thought, watching the battle unfold.

"No point striking hard if you can't catch up. Now, Shadow Ball," Gary said.

The multiple Umbreons fired balls of dark energy towards the Lairon, which braced for the hit. An explosion of ghostly energy was formed as the attack made direct contact with the Iron Armor Pokémon. The smoke cleared to reveal the Lairon simply standing there, slightly damaged but unfazed.

"Take Down," Gary cried.

His Umbreon charged into the other Pokémon which had stood up on its hind legs, using its front legs to grab a hold of the Dark Pokémon and hold it back. The Lairon's body began to emit a bright glow which engulfed the two Pokémon in the deadlock.

"What's happening?" Gary asked, watching the glow, using his hand to block out the uncanny light from his eyes.

As suddenly as it had appeared, the glowing subsided. The Lairon was gone and in its place was an Aggron which slammed its tail into the ground and roared loudly. The Umbreon backed away, fearfully. Basking in the awe of its new form and remembering the battle, the Aggron roared and swatted the Umbreon away like a toy.

"How-" Gary began.

Brendan smirked and lifted his hand, running an Everstone between his fingers that he had taken from his Pokémon earlier. "A Lairon will learn powerful moves earlier than an Aggron," he explained. "I was just waiting for a good opportunity to allow Rono to evolve. And this is as good as any opportunity as I'm gonna get. Rono, Head Smash then Heavy Slam!"

"Umbreon, hit it with another Shadow Ball," Gary reacted.

The newly evolved Aggron was covered in blue aura as it charged towards the dazed Umbreon, easily swatting the aura of ghostly energy that was blasted towards it. It then smashed its head into the Umbreon's side. It then leaped into the air and landed onto the Moonlight Pokémon, knocking it out instantly.

Gary returned his fainted Pokémon and gritted his teeth. "Not bad, you actually managed to take out one of my Pokémon. You're up next, Electivire," he cried throwing an Ultra ball which sent out his Electivire. It grunted and whipped its two tails, causing the electricity they produced to crackle maniacally.

_'Can't match its power,' _Gary thought, frowning. '_I'll just have to beat it in speed_.'

"Go, Electivire," Gary summoned. He frowned as he considered his Electivire's moveset and Aggron's type. This greatly limited his Pokémon's movepool as most of his Electivire's attacks had consisted of Electric ones.

"Iron tail," he said.

"Counter it with your own Iron Tail then use Metal Claw"

Electivire jumped into the air, tail glowing and spun, using its falling momentum to add to the strength of its tail which it brought crashing downwards. Aggron's own tail glowed as it brought it up to counter the attack, pushing the Thunderbolt Pokémon to the side where it landed easily. The Aggron's claws began glowing as it swiped them towards the Electivire who barely sidestepped out of the way.

"Low Kick," Gary growled.

Brendan, sensing the danger with Aggron's weight, instinctively told the Pokémon to defend itself with a Protect. Aggron raised its arms and created a green force field which easily deflected its opponent's kick. This prompted Gary to command his Electivire to switch its attack into a Brick Break. The Thunderbolt Pokémon swiped its hand towards the Aggron, smashing its force field easily and hitting the heavier Pokémon across the head, knocking it off balance.

"Finish it off with another Low Kick and an Iron Tail."

The Electivire then bent its knees and swiped Aggron's legs from under it causing the Iron Armor Pokémon to fall over. The Electivire's tails glowed as it leaped above the Aggron and used its tails to smash its opponent into the ground, increasing the damage that Low Kick would have had already done with Aggron's weight. The Iron Armor Pokémon crashed into the ground, fainting instantly.

"Dammit," Brendan cursed as he recalled his Pokémon.

"Your Pokémon's too slow, Birch. It's still not used to its new form and weight," Gary said.

"Come on out, Ruru," Brendan called, sending his next Pokémon into the battlefield. The red beam solidified into a Gallade which somersaulted in the air then landed gracefully on his feet, stretching his bladed arms and extending a fist towards the Electivire, challenging it.

"Wow, it's a Gallade," Lucas said, suddenly wide eyed. "I've never seen one before. They're said to be great battlers because of their fighting spirit"

"That's right," Oak agreed. "Gallades are masters of courtesy and swordsmanship and would never admit defeat."

Leaf just shivered at the look of the Blade Pokémon. The sharpness of its bladed protrusions as well as its forearms seemed downright eerie to the girl. '_It seems like such a dangerous Pokémon to battle, let alone keep and train_,_'_ she thought, watching as the Gallade avoided several Thunders striking from the sky with a Teleport. The Psychic-Fighting Pokémon would counterattack by utilising Psycho Cut to fire crescent shaped psychic energy towards Gary's Electivire. Each time a blast of Psycho Cut seemed to get too close, Gary would tell Electivire to fire off an Electro Ball to stop it. The colliding energies would cause small explosions around the battlefield, giving off a charred smell.

"I've been keeping count, you've got one Thunder left to use, Oak," Brendan taunted. "Take it down with a Night Slash!"

"Meet it with a Thunderpunch, Electivire!"

The two Pokémon charged at each other. Ruru's extended his bladed arm which glowed with an ominous aura as he approached the Electivire, who had its fist raised and charging with crackling electricity. The two attacks collided, creating a large explosion of dark energy and electricity, knocking both Pokémon back. The opposing Pokémon were both greatly fatigued from the blast, barely standing though it seemed that Electivire had taken the brunt of the damage from the blast. The hulking Electric type Pokémon was breathing heavily and on one knee with its hand to the ground to support it. Brendan's Gallade was standing on his legs, arms extended with a determined look in its eyes. However, it was noticeably quivering from exhaustion. Pulling off multiple Teleports in succession as well as the shock from the blast had drained most of its energy, leaving it vulnerable as well.

"Finish it. Close Combat," Brendan yelled. Ruru nodded towards his Trainer and dashed towards the Electivire which struggled to get up. The Blade Pokémon brought his fists up and repeatedly struck the opposing Pokémon with a flurry of punches, kicks as well as several knees and elbows in rapid combinations. Electivire merely stood there and absorbed the various strikes to its body, grunting at each hit that connected.

"Now, Electivire!" Gary yelled. Suddenly, the Electric Pokémon's eyes grew wide and it proceeded to wrap its large, powerful arms around the attacking Gallade, trapping him in a tight bear hug. The Gallade's chest protrusion dug uncomfortably into its face and the Pokémon had attempted to escape by performing knee strikes to its belly. Despite all of that, the Electivire kept its hold on the bear hug, using its tails to grab hold of its opponent's legs to prevent him from causing more damage. It then screamed loudly as it called down its final Thunder. A large strike of lightning shot down from the sky, blasting both Pokémon and throwing sand and smoke everywhere.

"Looks like it's over for both Pokémon," Lucas said to the rest, each wide eyed and reeling in shock of the incredible display of power. They quickly agreed.

"Not quite yet," Professor Oak had replied. He obviously knew something that they didn't.

The smoke has cleared, showing the tired Electivire left holding an unconscious Gallade which it then released. The Gallade fell to the ground, his bladed arms clattering noisily. The Electivire breathed heavily, its fur smoking and emitting a pungent smell. It then stopped and began breathing normally, looking up to show a fierce look in its eyes, fur and tail still crackling with electricity.

"Wha.." Brendan began.

"Motor Drive," Gary explained, smirking. "Electric moves have no effect. Well, except for increasing its speed. It's pretty useful."

"Crap. Well, I have to admit, you're pretty good, Oak," Brendan commented, returning his Gallade and producing a Net Ball. "But your luck just ran out. Zuzu, let's go!"

The Net Ball unleashed a powerful Swampert who stood proudly, a grin on his face. He pounded his hands to the ground and awaited its Trainer's orders which came as a simple "Wait for it..."

"Well, if you're not going to attack, I will. Electivire, Iron Tail," Gary said, growing impatient.

His Electivire placed its two tails to the ground and used them to assist its legs in propelling itself forwards. Its tails began glowing and it spun in the air, swinging them towards the awaiting Swampert.

"Grab it and use Hammer Arm," Brendan cried.

His Swampert nodded. He outstretched his left hand and easily caught the shocked Electivire's tails to everyone's surprise. Everyone stared, wide-eyed as the Swampert, clenching tightly, pulled downwards, forcing the shocked Electric type towards him. It then used its free hand to smash the Electric Pokémon downwards on the head, stunning it.

"Finish it off. Ice Punch!" Brendan cried. His Swampert released the tail as his fist began glowing icy blue, emitting frost. He then used Ice Punch to strike the Electivire with a powerful uppercut, sending it flying backwards. The whole thing had only happened in several seconds and had confirmed an obvious victory for the Mud Fish Pokémon.

The Electivire landed on the ground, its body continuing to drag across the sand from the momentum before it reached Gary's feet, where it muttered a quick, "Vire…" before fainting.

Gary's reaction was one of shock before his mouth turned into a large grin. "This is gonna be interesting," he commented, producing two Poké balls. Recalling the fainted Pokémon with one hand, he sent out his last Pokémon with the other.

A large Blastoise appeared, standing across the Swampert on the battlefield. Its cannons twitched and pointed in his direction. "Toise.." it roared, watching its Hoenn counterpart.

"It's the Kanto starter, Blastoise," Wally said as he took out his Pokédex, excitedly.

"Blastoise," it announced in a robotic voice. "The Shellfish Pokémon. Blastoise is the final evolved form of Squirtle. It can launch powerful blasts of water from its water spouts."

At this point, a small crowd of local spectators standing nearby had taken an interest in the battle. Several younger children had begun talking excitedly among themselves, pointing towards the two mighty Water Pokémon.

"Zuzu, let's start this off with an Earthquake and be careful with all the people around," Brendan called. Swampert put his hands to the ground and began producing tremors which headed towards the Blastoise. Before they reached the Blastoise, Gary had called for a Skull Bash. His Blastoise ran forward and leaped over the tremors. Its head soon made contact with Swampert's belly, knocking the wind out of him.

"Hammer Arm," Brendan commanded. His Swampert put both hands together and prepared to smash downwards onto the Blastoise's hard shell.

"Use Withdraw and follow up with a Flash Cannon," Gary declared. The Shellfish Pokémon retreated inside its shell and withstood the dual Hammer Arms to the back of its shell. Landing on the ground, it bounced, spinning to the side before coming out again on all fours beside the Swampert. It aimed its cannons towards the Mud Fish Pokémon and fired twin beams of silver energy, knocking the Swampert off its feet and into the dirt.

"Water attacks wouldn't be very effective but I'm guessing Steel would do just fine," Gary declared, confidently.

The Swampert instinctively rolled backwards and landed on all fours. Hearing his Trainer calling for a Focus Blast, it charged energy between its hands before firing it towards the large turtle.

"Withdraw and Rapid Spin. Then Flash Cannon," Gary declared. His Blastoise ran towards the blast and jumped, retreating inside its shell like before. It then spun around in mid-air, deflecting the blast of energy and crashed into the Swampert, knocking him back and followed up with more blasts of silver energy, knocking the Mud Fish Pokémon that was struggling to stand into the ground.

"We're getting our asses kicked here, pal," Brendan said to his Swampert. The Mud Fish Pokémon looked back at him, frowning and nodded. "Alright, let's try this," Brendan replied. "Use Ice Beam." Swampert opened its mouth and fired a beam of frost.

"Blastoise, Rapid Spin," Gary called out. His Blastoise jumped, hiding in its shell once again, and spun towards the Swampert, smashing the ice away.

"Grab hold of it, Zuzu!" Brendan called. The Swampert placed his hands against the shell, forcing it to stop before it could strike him. His face faced the hole where Blastoise's head had retreated into. The two cannons had extended and pointed towards him, ready to fire off another Flash Cannon.

"Now use Mud Shot into the hole, quick." Zuzu fired a light blast of mud from his mouth into the opening of the hole, causing the Blastoise to extend its limbs and head from the shell as it push him back. Its eyes were caked with mud, blocking its vision. The Shellfish Pokémon began stumbling around, angry and blinded, swinging its arms and firing blasts of water wildly. Gary attempted to call out to it to no avail.

Dodging the powerful blasts of water, Brendan's Swampert began making its way towards the opposing Pokémon. When the Blastoise finally managed to wipe the mud from its eyes, the first thing it saw was the fist of a Swampert approaching it, connecting with a powerful Hammer Arm. Gary panicked as his Blastoise was hit with several more strikes of Hammer Arm. His Blastoise lacked any good close ranged moves, focusing mainly on long ranged attacks. Quickly commanding a Bite, His Blastoise clamped onto the Swampert's shoulder with its jaws, forcing it to stop the barrage of strikes as it cried loudly in pain.

"Iron Tail, Zuzu," Brendan instructed. His Swampert placed a hand on the Blastoise's face and chest forcing it off with a mighty push. His fin-shaped tail began glowing as he spun around, smashing it across his opponent's face, causing the large tortoise to stumble backwards.

"Let's take that thing down. Skull Bash," Gary cried, noticing the Swampert was in a fatigued state. His Blastoise charged towards the tired Swampert, head-butting it in the stomach.

"Grab hold of it and careful of its Bite," Brendan instructed. The Pokémon wrapped his arms around the Blastoise's waist and held it up, holding it upside-down with the mouth facing away from him to prevent it from biting him again.

Gary smiled. "Now, Blastoise, Hydro Pump," Gary called. His Blastoise fired off intense blasts of water from its cannons towards the ground, launching itself and a surprised Swampert, who barely hung on, almost twenty feet into the air. The Mud Fish Pokémon panicked and held on tight to the shell for dear life when it realized the height they were at.

"Blastoise, Seismic Toss!"


	4. At Sea

**YEAH! Hoenn confirmed! Ruby was my first game so I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. Anyways, sorry for the long hiatus. I' m in the middle of my mid-terms right now but I thought I might as well upload this for you guys since it's already completed anyways. It took _forever _to run through and edit this. I must have done it like six times. There could still be a few mistakes though so I'll appreciate it if you guys tell me about anything you find. I've actually written a few more chapters of this but I'm still running through them for any changes or errors. **

**There will be some shipping in here but I'll try not to spoil anything. Like stated, it's anime-verse so other characters will be having mentions/****appearances but only if they fit in.**

* * *

"Blastoise, Seismic Toss," Gary called out.

In the air, the Shellfish Pokémon had managed to loosen the Swampert's grip on it and repositioned itself so that it held the frightened Mud Fish Pokémon in the position of a Seismic Toss – the Swampert's head facing the Blastoise's feet as it fell towards the ground.

"Hydro Pump."

The Shellfish Pokémon then pointed its twin cannons upwards to the sky. Firing off dual Hydro Pumps, the two Pokémon sped to the ground. The Swampert had crashed headfirst into the sand, creating an imprint of its head on the surface and fainting instantly. Its opponent, the Blastoise, merely rolled over onto its feet and walked over to its Trainer obediently. Gary had won the battle.

The small Eterna City crowd cheered in response to a battle well-fought by both Pokémon, uproar of screams and cheers echoed loudly throughout the park. Younger children clapped their hands with gleeful vigour, pointing and chattering excitedly among themselves about the battle they had witnessed.

Brendan rushed over and knelt on one knee to check on his Swampert. The water-starter was knocked out cold and seemed to have a nasty bump on the peak of his head. Luckily, the injuries were not too severe due to the species' naturally tough hide as he recalled. He rubbed a gloved hand against the fainted Pokémon's rubbery head fins affectionately, praising him for its help.

"That was a nice win, Gary," Brendan complimented, a slight trace of disappointment in his voice. It wasn't that he expected to win, in fact, he did not expect to come as close; his opponent was supposed to be a renowned Trainer after all. Nevertheless, losing after coming so close was rather off-putting. Gary had ignored the slight tone in his voice. After all, it was natural for your pride to hurt after losing a difficult battle. The better man had simply won.

"Your Pokémon are pretty strong," Brendan commented, attempting to keep his voice straight as he stuck out his gloved hand, struggling to maintain eye contact. "And that Hydro Pump and Seismic Toss combo was really something."

"Thanks, Birch," Gary replied gratefully, shaking his hand with a confident grin. "You weren't too bad yourself."

"You still got it, Garebear," Leaf teased as she strolled over to the two boys, her long auburn hair bouncing exuberantly behind her. Wally followed her energetic figure with enthusiasm, Professor Oak and Lucas in tow.

Gary winced at the nickname, causing Brendan to raise a bemused eyebrow.

Gary shut his eyes, grinding his teeth and was about to retort back when Professor Oak stepped between his grandson and student. "That's enough, you two," he said, chuckling as he placed his hands on their shoulders. "You kids should get going soon. You'll want to reach route 219 by noon, tomorrow. If I can recall, the last ship to Johto leaves around then. But first, let's get your Pokémon healed up."

…

Leaf threw her arms around Professor Oak's neck, grasping the elder man with a quick hug. He casually returned it, giving her a warm smile as she pulled away.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, Professor," she chirped, as she was breaking the embrace.

"Just be sure to take care of yourself. I promised your parents you would be in capable hands," he said, casting a wary glance towards the other three that only Brendan seemed to notice.

Brendan followed his gaze to look on amusedly as Lucas' Fan Rotom was clasped in Wally's hands as the audacious Breeder began speaking monotonously into its spinning fan blades, distorting his voice into a robotic tone which seemed to amuse the two boys. He was unceremoniously halted as Rotom discharged a blast of electricity, shocking the two boys before snickering loudly as it zipped away, Lucas scampering wildly after the Pokémon to return it.

Brendan winced at the sight. Surely, Wally would be quite rash at times and often his father was rather reckless but he was pretty capable person despite their company. At least he liked to think so. He casted the thought aside and plunged his hands into his pocket as Leaf ruffled Gary's spiky hair, the Trainer glowering as wild strands fell over his eyes.

"Smell ya' later," she cried loudly in a mocking tone, stifling a laugh at Gary who rolled his eyes in annoyance. This had caused several bystanders to stare at the group, aware of the commotion.

"Well, we better get going before we attract too much attention," Brendan said, shifting uncomfortably at the multiple pairs of eyes on them. Turning to Professor Oak, he bowed politely. "Thank you, professor."

He then turned and led the way out of the city, feeling rather self-conscious at the head of the group until he noted the other three teens following him closely behind, all with noticeably cheery looks on their faces.

"Pesky girl," Gary muttered to himself. The boy crossed his arms over his chest, watching the four teens fade out of sight.

"We better get going too, Gary," Professor Oak said giving off a hearty laugh. "It's getting late and we still have plenty of work to do tomorrow."

* * *

**Route 204, Sinnoh-21:34**

"Hey Brendan, why don't we camp here for the night?" Wally asked placing his hand on the shoulder of the crimson-eyed teen in front of him as they stepped into a small clearing where several logs were scattered around randomly.

Brendan wiped the cool sweat that trickled at his brow and quickly spun around to survey the other three Trainers behind him. Wally had removed his hand and quickly shoved it back into the pocket of his green trousers, shielding it from the cold, his heavy breathing evident against the cool night air. Behind him, Leaf was leaning against a tree for support, short of breath. Her bag lay at her feet as she watched the other two, waiting for Brendan to make a decision. Lucas was a little further back, his pace having deteriorated to one similar of a Torkoal. His sneakers dragging heavily against the ground as he slowly approached them, hunched over and eyes half closed.

"Ah, alright," Brendan finally answered, letting out a tired sigh. He dropped his heavy emerald backpack to the ground recklessly before collapsing next to it. "Let's stop here for the night."

Wally had offered to go and collect firewood, bringing his Sceptile and Gardevoir along to cut and collect them from several trees. Leaving behind his Porygon2, the odd Pokémon let out several beeps before illuminating the camp with a bright Flash. Lucas, being the only one in the group with a Fire-type, was sent to collect and boil clean water from a nearby river. This had left Brendan and Leaf to set up the camp, the two teens working silently.

Brendan's Aggron grunted loudly as he shifted several logs, easily picking them up and hurling them to the side, providing the two teens space to carefully lay down the four sleeping bags while leaving room in the middle for a campfire.

Upon finishing their task earlier than expected, Leaf sat cross-legged on the ground and whipped out an Eevee which she then began grooming. Brendan had sat on a nearby log and uncovered a small tear at his backpack. Cursing his luck, the young researcher then began shifting around in it and brought out a small sewing kit as well as a pair of dark framed spectacles which he slipped onto his face before proceeding to mend the hole.

"Hey, uhh... Brendan. What are you doing?" Leaf asked, her eyes watching the boy questioningly. Her Eevee looked up towards her Trainer curiously with its beady eyes.

The boy paused and looked back at the girl, his crimson eyes meeting her turquoise ones. "Oh, I'm just sewing," he replied calmly and continued at his attempts to mend his backpack.

Leaf got up and dusted her hands as well as her skirt. Picking up her Eevee in her arms, she walked over and sat on a log opposite of Brendan, giving him a mischievous smile.

"Isn't that a little... you know... gay?" She asked teasingly, giving him a mischievous grin, almost bursting in laughter as his eyes suddenly widened.

Brendan flinched slightly at her words, accidentally jabbing the needle into his left forefinger. He instinctively emitted a girlish shriek and began sucking at it. This had prompted Leaf lose it, bursting out in childlike laughter as he glared at her with his thumb in his mouth. Not even Gary was able to imitate a female scream as well as he did. Not even when she 'accidentally' let an Ariados loose on his bed.

"No, it's not!" Brendan denied. "It's a pretty useful skill for field work. My outfit gets damaged pretty often. Saves me a fortune from not having to buy a new one every time. You should pick it up if you're going to be with us."

"Thanks but I'll pass," Leaf retaliated, still laughing.

Brendan scowled angrily at her before going back to mending his backpack.

"Aren't you a Coordinator?" he asked.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am," she assured proudly.

"I would assume most Coordinators would have known how to sew by now," Brendan said, a smug look appearing on his face. "You _have_ heard of the new Contest rules, haven't you?"

"What new Contest rules?" she asked, ignoring his mocking tone as her eyes gleamed with suspicion. This elicited a small sigh from the male Trainer as he looked up from his handiwork.

"Coordinators have to dress up in formal attire when they compete."

The girl was silent as her eyes stared off into space, attempting to process the information. _Dress up?_ She barely brought anything else besides a few spare changes of clothes.

Several minutes passed without the teens saying anything, the atmosphere turned awkwardly quiet, save for the chirping of a few Kricketots somewhere farther off as well as the occasional Hoothoot. The temperature seemed to fall several degrees as Leaf shivered from the wind and rubbed her arms. Her Eevee looked at her from her lap, concerned about the welfare of her Trainer.

Upon noticing the chattering of her teeth, Brendan let out a long sigh and reached into his backpack, pulling out his old outfit – a long sleeved red and black jacket of similar design to the shirt he currently wore. Sure, she was annoying but if they were going to travel together, the least he could do was look out for her. It was what Professor Oak entrusted him to do, wasn't it?

"Here," he said, sighing as he tossed it to her. "How'd you expect to stay in Sinnoh without at _least _a jacket? It's the coldest out of all the regions. You didn't bring anything else, did you?"

The girl grabbed it and pondered the gesture for several minutes before looking back at him.

"I didn't think we'd be here long enough to camp outdoors. Thanks," Leaf muttered, overcome with mortification as she unzipped the clothing. She slipped the jacket over her shoulders, wrapping it snugly around herself. The cold air that bit at her arms instantly began subsiding allowing her to realise that his jacket smelt of peaches which, somehow made her cheeks flush a light pink. She buried her face into the yellow neck of the jacket, hoping he did not notice the change in their colour.

Several moments of awkward silence filled the air again before it was broken as they heard Wally yelling a loud 'TIMBER!' somewhere farther off followed by a loud crack and the light flapping of wings as several Starly scattered away into the air.

The two teens stared towards the direction of the commotion and turned their gaze to each other before bursting out laughing, all sense of strife loss in the moment.

"That's an interesting hat," Leaf said, feeling the mood lighten as she wiped a small tear at her eye. "What fur is that?"

"Huh?"

"What fur is it made of? Zangoose, right?" she asked, indicating to his odd headgear. It was definitely peculiar to say the least. Not exactly something you would find in Kanto.

"Yeah," he replied with a pause. "Got it when they started shedding."

"The Zangoose. They're territorial, aren't they?" Leaf asked, cocking her head to one side. She flinched, recalling when she narrowly escaped a horde of Zangoose a few days ago. The girl had barely made it to her Venusaur's Poke ball, sending him out where he easily scared them off with a Petal Dance.

"Yeah, they are," Brendan replied, looking up from his neat stitching and giving off a dry laugh. "I got chased by a few while trying to collect the fur for this," he continued, rubbing his hat. "Felt the wrath of their Crush Claw first-hand."

This evoked a small laugh out the girl; a sound which seemed to oddly amuse the male Trainer though he largely ignored the feeling.

"Can I take a closer look at it?"

"…No," Brendan replied firmly, his voice suddenly turning cold as he used his right hand to push at bridge of his glasses to adjust them, his attention drawn back on his stitching.

"Oh, come on. I'll just borrow it," Leaf said, pouting playfully as she stood up. Her Eevee jumped off her lap and ran off to lie on her sleeping bag. Leaf approached Brendan and reached towards his fur hat, staring intently at its white furry texture.

"I'll just borrow it," she repeated. "Promise."

Leaf's fingers had barely brushed at the fur of the hat when Brendan jumped back, gripping his hat firmly on his head. His bag fell to the floor alongside his sewing kit, its contents sprawling out onto the grass. His glasses were flung from his face and landed to one side. Jumping behind the log he was sitting on, he pressed his back against a tree, crimson eyes full of panic. Leaf, shocked from the sudden reaction, fell into a sitting position on the ground. She looked up at him, confused.

"What-" she began but before she could finish, Brendan had sped off into the forest.

"I'm sorry!" she heard him yell back.

Leaf got up and dusted herself off, confused and concerned for the strange boy. That was definitely odd. Her Eevee ran to her side and began rubbing herself against her leg affectionately and looked up at her with troubled eyes.

It was at that moment when Wally and Lucas had returned from the opposite direction. Wally held a small pile of firewood. His Sceptile was beside him, holding a slightly larger pile and his Gardevoir behind them, using her Psychic powers to telekinetically carry a much larger pile behind her. Lucas and his Magmar both followed suit, each gripping buckets of fresh water, waddling along carefully to prevent the contents from spilling out.

"Hey guys," Wally called. "We got the firewood and-"

Wally paused and looked around, seeing only a stunned Leaf looking back at him as well as her Eevee, surveying them with her beady eyes.

"Where's Brendan?" he asked, setting down the firewood cautiously, eyes fixated on Leaf. A hint of concern lay in his voice.

"Hey, isn't that his jacket?"

…

Brendan had kept running deeper into the forest, his legs aching as he did so. Trees zoomed past him, their features fading into a distinct blur as he explored the upper limits of the speed of his Devon Corporation running shoes. He came to an abrupt stop and fell over as he approached a small lake, narrowly avoiding falling in. His gloved hands were coated in a layer of dirt, triggering an irritated groan from the male Trainer.

The water from the lake was streaked with silver lines, reflections from the moonlight that rippled slightly as he approached, no doubt the result of timid fish below its surface. Dropping to his knees, he plunged his hands into the rippling water, feeling the filth drift into the current before dousing his face with cupped hands. Before long, he wiped his face against his sleeve, gasping heavily for air. Brendan placed a hand against the headband at his forehead, feeling the soft material press against his numb skin underneath. Sighing, he got up and dusted himself off diligently and began walking back to camp.

He returned to the campsite, warily. His head was hung low and he had his hands in his pockets, shuffling his feet while he walked. Wally was the first to notice him, giving him a friendly wave before running up to him.

"You okay, man?" he asked. "Leaf said you just freaked out and ran off. What's up?"

"Eh, it's nothing," Brendan replied, looking up and grinning nervously.

"Well, if you say so. Lucas got his Magmar to get a fire going. He's about to show us some local Sinnoh cuisine." Wally joked.

"Sounds good."

Wally walked over back to the camp where Lucas stirred a small pot above the campfire. The Sinnoh-born boy had casted a weary-looking gaze towards the two but kept any suspicion he could have had to himself.

Not long after, Lucas had managed to prepare a vegetable-based broth which he poured into several bowls and handed them out. The other three teens stared at the translucent liquid cautiously before beginning to drink it. The broth was good and Lucas was obviously a talented cook. He merely dismissed their compliments and praise with a sheepish smile, giving credit to the mandatory classes he had to take as instructed by his father.

Finishing their meal, Wally began preparing bowls of food for their Pokémon. Lucas was busy clearing up all the used utensils, humming cheerfully as he placed them to one side. Leaf was still wearing Brendan's jacket from before. She had met his gaze but he had quickly looked away, muttering another apology, silent enough to prevent the others from hearing it.

* * *

**Route 210, Sinnoh-7:05**

Bright sunlight pushed itself between the towering trees, illuminating the small clearing where the four Trainers slept. Up in the trees, several birds sang in a cacophony of cries that were accompanied by the faint sound of rustling foliage as well as the occasional sound of scurrying feet as a wild Pokémon occasionally hurried by.

Brendan woke up with a jolt, eyelids fluttering open and reached at the top of his head to assure that his hat was still in place. He checked the time on his nearby PokeNav, realising that he had awoken at his usual routine and sat up to stretch his limbs, feeling a slight ache in his joints as they produced a cracking sound. Standing up, he turned his gaze to his left, watching his sleeping partners.

Wally remained asleep face down in his tangerine sleeping bag, arms tucked under his head. A mop of green hair covered his eyes as he snored softly. This was his usual sleeping pose that Brendan had grown accustomed to over the years. Lucas lay opposite him in a grey one, the expression on his face indicating that he was in dream-land. His arms were spread wide open outside, his beret lay discarded to the side. The raven-haired boy's mouth was wide open, sucking air in greedily before exhaling rapidly in succession. Leaf was directly across the extinguished bonfire from him, sleeping soundly on her side. Her fuchsia sleeping bag wrapped tightly around her slim figure, leaving only her head exposed. Her face indicated that the girl was completely at peace – eyes softly shut with her lips slightly parted.

The moment he realised he was watching her sleep, Brendan's face turned a deep pink. He quickly slipped on his running shoes and yellow fingerless gloves that lay at the foot of his navy sleeping bag. Flexing his hands, he walked into the forest, eager on finding some berries to make breakfast.

…

Lucas twitched slightly, feeling a light breeze against his face. He got up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawned loudly, stretching his lean arms. The boy ran his slender fingers through his messy, unkempt raven hair, pushing back the long strands at the top of his head.

He was not used to waking up on his own. Sebastian would usually wake him to begin the day. However, upon his enrolment in the lab, his father had advised the aging butler to cease waking the boy every morning, intending to teach him responsibility. As an aide to Professor Rowan, the boy had often failed to reach to the lab on time, slyly sneaking in as the professor's back was turned. Often, his father would spot him in the act and give him a disapproving frown as he mentally prepared a lecture he would give his son regarding the importance of punctuality. The boy merely gave an apologetic shrug in response. If Professor Rowan had noticed his young assistant's tardiness, he made no mention of it, simply carrying on as if Lucas had been in the lab since morning. It wasn't that the young researcher did not care. In fact, he simply adored his job as an assistant. However, despite his fondness for his work, he could never seem to wake himself on time.

The young researcher spotted and eyed a nearby plate of freshly picked berries, before approaching it curiously. Dragging his bare feet against the ground in a sluggish manner, he ignored the damp grass and dirt that grimed at his skin. His mouth curved into a wide grin as he counted the berries that were piled on the plate in front of him and prepared to begin eating, rubbing his hands in glee.

The berries were all edible and freshly washed as could be seen from the droplets of water that still clung onto their exterior. Lucas sluggishly picked up two berries in each hand and prepared to take a bite out of one when he felt a sharp smack at the back of his head. The boy spun around to face Wally with untamed strands of his mossy green hair covering his eyes and a rolled up magazine in one hand.

"I-I wasn't-" Lucas stammered, desperately. He dropped the berries in his hands, allowing them to roll to their feet.

"Sure, you weren't," the Breeder interrupted, a tone of sarcasm underlining his voice. He grabbed a couple of berries with his free hand and laughed before walking back to his sleeping bag. "Leave some for the rest too, eh?"

…

Leaf bit into an Iapapa berry nonchalantly, her thoughts lay on Brendan's actions the night before. Somehow, she didn't think she would get a straight answer if she asked him directly. The sour flavour imprinted itself onto her tongue, causing her to wince slightly at its strong taste. The girl had awoken to Lucas offering her a plate of berries sadly. Now, the raven-haired aide sat before, her watching her wide-eyed as she ate, almost drooling as she bit her teeth into another berry.

Feeling satisfied, Leaf pushed the plate of remaining berries towards the boy. He looked up at her, perplexed as she got up and walked away to begin packing away her belongings. Gleefully, he began devouring the leftovers before Wally could see him, casting a wary eye toward the Breeder every now and then.

"Hey, Wally," Leaf called out. The boy was packing several items into his backpack. He paused when he heard his name, turning to give her an exuberant grin.

"Morning! What's up?" he piped.

"Oh, nothing. Um, It's about Brendan." Leaf stated nervously.

"Sure. What got you so interested in him?" Wally asked. His tone remained cheery and optimistic though his face shifted into a cheeky grin.

"Wha- I'm not interested in him! I just-"

"Whoa relax, girl. I was just joking," Wally laughed. He stood up to his full height – almost half a foot taller than her – and placed his hands on his hips. "So, Brendan…"

"He's a little odd, isn't he?"

"Yup, he is."

"Yeah, well, you've known him for quite a while right?" she inquired, watching Wally nodding keenly, his green hair bouncing around wildly as he did so. "So, what's up with the hat?"

Wally placed a hand on his chin and nodded slowly, musing on her words. To Leaf, the young boy oddly resembled the look that Professor Oak had whenever he spent hours reflecting on a deep poem or a riddle. Staring into space, his emerald eyes seemed to flash with thought as he pondered her question. Unfortunately, that aura of contemplation shattered as he muttered a sheepish 'Dunno.'

Leaf felt herself sweat-drop as she muttered a quick 'Thanks, anyway.'

"Maybe he's bald," he joked as he attempted to stuff his TM case into the front pocket of his backpack. Leaf rolled her eyes and shuffled back to her belongings, her mind still fixated on the strange hat that adorned the crimson-eyed boy's head as she hastily began packing.

* * *

**Route 219, Sinnoh-11:40**

The quartet of teens had resumed their journey, eventually arriving at route 219 barely in time to perform a mad scramble to the nearby ticketing counter to purchase four passes for the ship to Johto. The surprised young woman at the counter had hastily accepted their money and handed over four tickets for a nearby docked ship.

Lucas stood at the dock, staring wide-eyed at the S.S. Aqua. The large ship sat docked before him, thick smoke rising from its funnel as it sounded its deep horn noisily. Several flocks of Wingull flew overhead as they cried out in a noisy chatter of sounds, ignoring the steel behemoth that rested below them. Waves crashed noisily against the ship, producing a heavy lapping sound and seasoning the air with a salty smell and taste.

"LAST CALL FOR THE S.S. AQUA!" A large sailor before him yelled. "You getting on, lad?" he asked the boy amiably.

Lucas pondered on the odd name for the ship before looking at the man. A typical white sailor's uniform adjourned over his plump body, tightly hugging at his sides. His voice was rough and emphasized with a deep accent that was unfamiliar to the boy though it seemed to match his tough face that was typical among sailors. Despite his rough exterior, the man possessed kindly eyes that told of experience on his days at sea. Lucas responded with a friendly nod and grinned.

"Yes, sir," he said amiably. "It's my first time journeying out of Sinnoh."

"Well, cheers to you, lad," the man congratulated. "You best be gettin' on now, we'll be leavin' soon. Got your ticket?"

Lucas nodded excitedly and handed the stark-white pass gripped in his hands to the man who skimmed it quickly before handing it back to the boy with a grin.

"Have a nice cruise, m'boy," he said with a wink, tipping his hat.

He gave the man a courteous nod, grinning madly. Breathing in the salty scent of the ocean, Lucas scampered onto the steel behemoth with a smile. He was leaving his home. For the first time in his life, he was leaving his home independently to explore a new region. He gave one last look to the Sinnoh region before rushing off to locate his cabin, his Trainers thumping heavily against the solid wooden floorboards as he dashed into a corner.

* * *

**Ferry from Sinnoh to Johto-12:07**

Wally stood in the room that the four teens would have to be sharing. A single porthole adorned the wall, allowing the low tone of lapping waves to flow into the small cabin. Two double-deckered beds lay at opposite ends of the room against the sky blue walls, each painted pale white with a deep red mattress on top and silver railings to prevent falling off during rough seas. A white pillow lay at the head of each bed with a white blanket folded neatly at the foot. The green-haired Trainer casually threw his bag onto the top bunk of the left bed, watching it bounce lightly upon the soft mattress before climbing on and leaping onto it himself.

The room was a little small for his liking but it sure beat sleeping in the woods. He put his hands behind his head and kicked his feet onto the footboard, letting out a long sigh. It had been too long since Wally had slept on a proper bed. It almost made him miss his own home back in Hoenn. Almost.

Wally smiled as his thoughts drifted towards his parents back in Petalburg. They could be quite… protective, to say the least. He had begged them to let him travel here, promising them to send a message every day. He shrugged at the thought. Maybe he should be working on that. Well, it wasn't like they were very good with computers anyway. Besides, he could just take care of it later on.

The door swung open loudly to reveal Lucas looking around, the look of excitement and adventure plastered on his face. Wally watched as the young researcher as he pranced in joyously, before selecting the only vacant bed among the four – the bottom right one – and carefully placed his yellow backpack at the foot of his bed.

"Where are the others?" the boy asked, upon noticing the bags that lay on the other two empty beds.

"Brendan went to let his Milotic out. She gets cranky when she's in her Poke ball too long. Oh, and I think Leaf said something about going for a walk," Wally explained.

"Oh."

"Hey," Wally called, hopping out of his bed and onto the wooden floorboards, producing a loud thud. "Let's take a look around. You and me. I'm sure there are some hot women on this boat."

He winked suggestively, providing him an apprehensive look from Lucas. The Sinnoh-born researcher shrugged uncomfortably upon meeting his emerald eyes. The boy replied stuttering, avoiding his gaze, glancing occasionally to the floor as well as the bare walls.

"I think… I'll pass..." he said apprehensively, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"C'mon, let's not stay in this cramped room. Let's go exploring. I think I saw some ladies by the pool…" Wally tempted winking again.

"I don't know…" Lucas replied rubbing his arm nervously.

"…right next to the food court."

…

Leaf stood at the edge of the ship, leaning against the railing. Strong winds blew at her hair, allowing chestnut-brown strands to dance freely in the wind. It was a good thing she left her hat back in the cabin. Surely, the strength of the winds would have claimed it by now. Her pair of clear turquoise eyes glanced towards the region she had barely spent a week in. Listening to the waves hit against the side of the ship, the Coordinator had the sudden urge for some company. Reaching at her belt, her hands grasped around the Poke balls that sat at her waist, throwing them into the air as they unleashed four red silhouettes that materialized into the figures of her Pokémon.

Her Eevee was the first to react, instantly jumping into her arms and climbing onto her shoulder, nuzzling against her Trainer's face as she squeaked excitedly. "Eevee…" Leaf moaned playfully, addressing the Eevee. "Get down from there."

Her Venusaur looked on amusedly before using his thick vines to carry the Evolution Pokémon back onto the ground where she began to run laps around their Trainer's feet, producing a chuckle from Leaf. "Thanks, Vena," she said, addressing the Venusaur. The Pokémon produced a wide toothy grin in response, nodding in her direction.

The next Pokémon leaned against the railing unenthusiastically, a look of boredom upon the Infernape's face. Glancing over its shoulder distastefully, the newest tem member rolled his eyes, growling loudly before spitting onto the deck, causing a section of the floorboards to erupt in small flames.

Her final Pokémon, a Squirtle, glanced around the ship enthusiastically, his eyes shining every time something caught his gaze. Venusaur eventually spun him gently to face the flames, which caused him to roll his eyes as he doused them with a quick Water Gun, Infernape scoffing at his actions.

"Alright, guys," Leaf said with a smile, picking up her Eevee again. "You guys want to join me exploring the ship?"

Her Pokémon cheered in agreement all except for her Infernape who simply shrugged. Her Eevee still cradled in her arms, Leaf began walking along the side of the ship, her other three Pokémon following her in pursuit. Every now and then, a red-blooded male would approach her with the intention of striking up a conversation only to turn and walk away hastily upon noticing the fierce glares of her Venusaur upon him.

Before long, they approached a large pool area. Several families as well as groups of younger children waded around in a large pool which seemed that it could not possibly fit any more people. A small Poliwag poked its head out from the water before dousing a small group of kids with a light Water Gun, causing high-pitched shrieks of delight and laughter. Several adults lay nearby in sun chairs, large yellow umbrellas casting vast shadows against the wooden floorboards.

Spotting a familiar head of green hair, Leaf watched as Wally conversed boldly with two women in bikinis. Lucas stood by his side, looking at his feet while nervously twiddling his thumbs and playing with the edge of his scarf. The boy certainly looked uncomfortable as he removed his beret and held it in his hands. His raven hair, slick with sweat, clung to his neck and forehead as he began fiddling with his odd headgear whilst Wally thrashed his arms wildly, detailing some sort of battle.

Wally proceeded to lean in and whisper something into their ears, prompting them to stare at him wide-eyed before slapping him each across the face before putting their arms around Lucas and walking off with the confused boy between them. Wally rubbed his sore cheeks as he watched them, bewildered before his lips curved slightly into a small grin. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers, he began walking in the opposite direction, laughing to himself.

Farther away, Brendan was knelt at the edge of the pool beside a sleeping Milotic. Her creamy serpentine body seemed to glow softly in the sunlight as she lay curled up with her head resting upon her cobalt and pink fan-shaped tail. Brendan rested his gloved hand her between her eyes and said something to her gently, causing her to shoot up and stare at him, her eyes gleaming a dark shade of red, looking rather irritated at his request. This had caused the male Trainer to pull back his hand apprehensively, sweat-dropping.

Letting out a small sigh, the Tender Pokémon raised her scaly cobalt tail as she began creating a small water spiral at its tip, causing several people to look towards her in curiosity. She then opened her mouth and from it, fired an Ice Beam which effectively froze the creation, forming a solid ice spiral that managed to shimmer in the sunlight. The Milotic proceeded to fire off a ball of turquoise energy from her mouth towards its base, allowing it to roll up the spiral releasing bright sparks as it scratched along its icy surface. When it finally reached the top, the ball exploded into a shower of multi-coloured lights, dazzling the nearby onlookers. Brendan placed a hand against her creamy body and gave her an approving smile.

"Reflecting her heart, she shines with overwhelming beauty. Possessing the ability Marvel Scale, the Pokémon, Milotic – Mimi," he announced proudly.

The young Trainer was instantly flocked with females – Coordinators, no doubt – who praised his abilities in appeals as well as the beauty of his Milotic before bombarding him with questions. The Tender Pokémon was apathetic to the praise she received as well as the crowd that formed around them. Watching the crowd with contempt, she could not fathom why her Trainer would enjoy such attention. Nevertheless, she merely curled back into a ball and returned to her slumber, allowing her Trainer to reply to their questions patiently with a sheepish grin.

Leaf was stunned by the sudden appeal, her head swimming with thoughts. She didn't know he was a Coordinator much less an amazing one at that. The Milotic's movements were elegant and seasoned, hinting at its experience in Pokémon Contests. Leaf couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy towards the Trainer.

"Show-off," she muttered, rolling her eyes before heading back to her cabin, Eevee still cradled in her arms. Her other three Pokémon looked towards the sleeping Milotic. Her remarkable appearance combined with her performance had captivated them into a state of disbelief. Her Eevee eventually emitted a small squeal, snapping the three Pokémon out of their trance with a jolt as they hastily pursued their Trainer towards her destination.

* * *

**Ferry from Johto to Sinnoh-21:38**

Lucas panted heavily as he headed down the escalator leading into the Pokémon Center, intent on healing his party. The boy had eventually ditched the two bikini-clad women after he had thought of a way to explain that he was not interested. Of course, they had taken it the wrong way and the bewildered researcher soon found himself fleeing from two angry women who threatened his life. He had then begun to search for any one of his travelling companions, eventually giving up and opting to several Pokémon battles. Noticing the small line at counter, he sighed, checking the time on the Pokétch at his wrist before making his way to the back of the line.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure waving at him. Shifting his head stagnantly, he spotted the other three researchers sitting around a brown coffee table, looking anxiously at the haphazard condition he was in – drenched in sweat and out of breath. He waved a hand in dismissal and continued waiting patiently in line. Upon his turn, he pushed his four Poké balls towards the Nurse Joy that sat behind the counter. The boy fixed his crooked beret and scarf before she pushed his four Poké balls back towards him, giving quick thanks before attending to the next Trainer.

Slipping his Poké balls into his crimson belt, he made his way towards the area where the others sat discussing the Pokémon they were to research.

"Listen, guys," Leaf said suddenly, interrupting some sort of discussion on egg moves. "I like Pokémon as much as the next person, but if I'm going to be working with you guys, I'd prefer to know a little more about you. I mean, no offense and all, I don't really know any of you. Like, can I have a proper introduction and everything?"

"That's a great idea." Wally exclaimed, clapping his hands. A mischievous grin adorned his face as he turned to face her amused expression, winking. "How about you start? Ladies first, after all."

Lucas briefly wondered if Wally being exceptionally chummy with Leaf signified anything. Perhaps some deep emotional affection of some sort? He never really thought about girls though he had to admit, she was a pretty. However, he quickly casted the thoughts out when he remembered the earlier events of the day. Wally was exceptionally chummy with girls_ especially._

"Well…" Leaf began. "I'm from Pallet Town, Kanto. Before starting my journey, I studied under Professor Oak. He basically taught me everything I know. When I turned eleven, I left and I guess I started off challenging gyms before I did pretty badly against Brock and realized it wasn't really for me. Pokémon Contests were just starting back then so, uh, I tried out a Contest and I kinda enjoyed it and I was pretty good at it." She grinned proudly.

"Hey… You didn't tell us you were a Coordinator," Wally interrupted, jabbing a thumb towards Brendan's figure. "Y'know, Brendan here is a Pokémon Coordinator, himself."

"I know. I saw his appeal earlier on by the pool. Nice one, Mr Birch. Is that how you always meet women?" she teased, giving him a playful wink.

Brendan grew an obvious deep shade of red, evidently uncomfortable with the subject, before muttering, "Never mind that. Anyway, how did Coordinating work out?"

Leaf gave him a chuckle. "Later on, I got my five Ribbons and tried out for the Kanto Grand Festival. I wasn't very lucky. Anyway, I was about to head to Johto when Professor Oak asked me to travel with you guys. So here I am."

She finished, giving off an amiable smile as she observed the mirth reactions of the other three. "So what about you guys? Wally?"

The green-haired Breeder jerked up at the mention of his name.

"Not much to say," Wally began, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I'll start with this. I have this condition. Asthma. My parents were always protective of me. They actually tried shielding me going from outdoors," he recalled, his expression turning serious.

"They had good intentions. I know they did. But keeping me copped up at home day after day, after day, it almost drove me nuts. I guess things began when I first met Norman. The man said he saw something in me. It was that day, Brendan helped me get started. Then, I started travelling on my own and I managed to beat the eight gyms," he continued, a look of pride appeared on his face. "I almost challenged the Hoenn League but I had a change of heart and settled down to become a Breeder. I also help Professor Birch and Brendan out whenever. Spending time outdoors, I guess it helps out with my Asthma."

"What about you parents? Don't they get worried?" Leaf asked. There was definitely more to Wally than he let on.

"Every day," Wally answered with a chuckle, returning to his cheery self. "They're still pretty protective of me anytime I get home. Bren, your turn," he said, turning to his friend as he gently kicked his shoe.

"Huh? Oh, ok," The crimson-eyed Trainer scratched the back of his head through his knit hat, looking thoughtful.

"Well, I went off on my journey around Hoenn. Catching a bunch of Pokémon for my dad, earning badges as well as entering a few Contests for the heck of it. Uh, I guess I met my master along those lines. He was the Gym Leader of Sootopolis and a Coordinator. I couldn't beat him, in a battle or at the local Contests. The balance his Pokémon had between beauty and power was just superb." An uncharacteristic twinkle seem to appear in his eyes much to their amusement just as he mentioned his master. "It took quite a bit of convincing to ask him to teach me but I guess something I did impressed him. He took me under his wing and taught me many things. That really helped me to win my last few Ribbons, allowing me to enter the Hoenn Grand Festival. Next, I set my sights to the Ever Grande Conference. I went in too overconfident and underestimated the other Trainers. I didn't do too well. And, uh, I guess that's it," he said, laughing nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

Lucas couldn't believe it. He felt himself growing smaller upon hearing their accomplishments. He usually spent his time in Sandgem, running errands or doing reports. They had all already finished travelling one region whereas he just recently won his third badge. In fact, the most exciting thing that happened to him was probably the time he accidentally lost the professor's briefcase, an event that embarrassed him greatly.

"Well enough about me. What about you, Lucas? What have you been doing?" Brendan questioned.

Wally and Leaf followed Brendan's crimson gaze towards the Sinnoh researcher who shifted uncomfortably in the chair he sat in. The boy nervously fiddled with the ends of the bright red scarf that wrapped tightly around his neck.

"I-" he stammered, feeling his heart sink into his stomach as he pulled on a stray thread. "There's not really much on me that I can say."

"Oh, come on," Leaf urged playfully. "There has to be _something_."

"Yeah, at least tell us about your badges," Wally added, giving him a mischievous wink, his emerald eyes gleaming with anticipation. "And your accomplishments. I hear there's plenty to do in your region."

The boy shuddered at the request. He took a long pause and sighed before apprehensively reaching into his pocket where he kept a small cyan badge case, trembling as he did so. The three before him had been on such eventful journeys while he had almost nothing to show for himself.

"I- This- This is all I have," he muttered, avoiding their gaze as he brought it forward.

His hand shook as he held the badge case out for them to see, flipping it open to reveal three distinct shiny badges. He had polished them every day. The three badges sat assembled in a manner as if the remaining five were adjourning the empty spaces, looking almost pitiful in the bare case. Lucas' hung his head low in embarrassment, avoiding their gaze. His arm suddenly feeling heavy, he let it drop to his side, flipping the case shut tight as he sighed loudly.

"It's pretty pathetic, I know," he blurted out, hearing his voice cracking. He didn't dare to look up, expecting them to burst out laughing. He wouldn't have been surprised if they sent him back to Professor Rowan. 'We can't use him,' he imagined them say. 'He's not as good as any of us. He's too green. He'll be of no use.'

"It's not pathetic," Leaf finally said, sitting next to him. Her tone had changed from before, from playful to sounding almost comforting. The sudden change in her character caused a round of silence as Lucas looked up to see her put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a hug. Releasing him, she placed both of her hands upon his shoulders.

"Who cares how many badges you got anyway? That doesn't define who you are. What about your life back home?" She asked gently.

Lucas let out a solaced sigh and looked up. Three pairs of eyes looked back earnestly. The request had made him cringe. His relationship with his father was troubled at best. Often, the man would compare him with other Trainers who visited the lab. He didn't have to eavesdrop; he could practically hear him across the room. 'If only my son was more like you,' he would say. The phrase would make Lucas cringe but he hid all sense of misery and humiliation behind a dull face, preferring not to confront the man about it.

At times, Professor Rowan would lightly praise his work or assure him gently of all the help he provided in the lab. Despite that, his father would merely dismiss them as mediocre or strokes of luck, urging the boy to do better. 'I can't tolerate any slackers in this family,' he would say. 'If you're going to be a Berlitz, you better start pulling your weight.'

"I'd rather not talk about my dad," he stated uncomfortably. "I guess you can say he's the type with high expectations. Y'know, family legacy and all."

Noting that they were still paying attention to him, he continued, "I hate it when people just call me 'that Berlitz kid' or 'the professor's assistant' so I guess what I really want to do is to make a name or myself."

"How about you challenge Johto League too?" Brendan asked him, smiling warmly. "I hear it's a great way to make a name for yourself."

"No," Lucas said, producing a chuckle.

"No?"

"No," he repeated firmer, giving him a jovial grin. "When I get back, I think… I think I want to take on the Sinnoh League first."

Lucas beamed widely at the warm sensation he felt arising in his chest. To be accepted. The last time he could remember truly felt this way was when he spent some time with that strange boy from Twinleaf – _Barry. _After Barry left for his journey, the sensation had disappeared completely, leaving him with a cold, empty feeling. Barry was the only one he ever considered a friend.

_Perhaps, _he thought, his lips curling into a smile as he watched, transfixed as Wally practically began acting out the story of his training in Victory Road. Leaf was chuckling in amusement whereas Brendan groaned and pulled his headband over his eyes as if he already heard the story a hundred times. _Perhaps experience isn't the only thing I'll gain from this trip._

* * *

**Author's notes: ****Glad that's over. Now the story can really get going! It seems like a recurring theme for me to make each chapter longer than the last (lol). Really didn't expect this one to be that long but well... yeah.**

**Richthew**

Hey. Thanks a lot for those lovely reviews. Glad you're enjoying it so far. I have played around with the idea of May making an appearance. Nothing certain yet though. I guess you'll have to wait and see ;)


	5. And Make it Double

**Summer break is here, which means I can work on this a lot more :D It seems I got 2 new reviewers. Welcome and I hope you guys enjoy the rest of this. I wish I could address you directly but I guess it's fine**** if you want to keep your anonymity.**

**The actual plot of this is beginning to form slowly so I hope you like it. It took quite a while to actually piece most of it together so hopefully it'll all come out smoothly. Like before, if you enjoy it, let me know with a review. It really motivates me to throw more effort into it :)**

* * *

**Ferry from Sinnoh to Johto-6:05**

_"Brendan… Brendan, slow down. I can't run that fast," she panted._

_He looked back to watch her six-year old self, struggling to keep up as she tugged the frilly end of her dress carelessly. Grinning, he extended his hand to her motioning for her to take it._

_"Hurry up, May," he laughed boyishly. "I want to see it before it leaves."_

_"It's all gross and icky out here. What's there to see?" she asked, sticking her tongue out at him. She was in one of her moods now. He should have been used to it by now; it was there every time he refused to play "House" or didn't want to join one of her tea-parties. He was a boy and that was girly stuff. Boys weren't supposed to do girly stuff. However, he would occasionally cave in and give into her demands._

_There was something about the way her sapphire eyes flashed defiantly as she stiffened her lip that made him feel Beautiflies in his stomach. She was so cute, though he would never tell her outright. Boys weren't supposed to feel this way, after all._

_"I told you, May," he responded patiently, maintaining his smile as he rubbed the bandage on the bridge of his nose. "My dad says there's a really powerful Pokémon out here somewhere. It probably wandered here somehow so it won't be around for long. I just wanna see it before it leaves."_

_"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked apprehensively. "I don't wanna get in trouble and I'm getting my new dress all dirty."_

_"It's ok," he laughed. "Everything will be fine. I'll take care of you anyways."_

_"Thanks," she squealed, gripping his body into a tight hug before adding, "You're my best friend."_

_"Ah… haha, we should keep going," he said nervously, adding, "I don't wanna miss the Pokémon."_

_They made their way deeper into the forest, him guiding her by the hand as they pushed past willowy branches and dodging the occasional Zigzagoon that scurried past. He stopped at a tree, pressing his weight against it before leaping to clutch a low branch by the hand, hoisting his small frame up. Looking down, he offered a hand to her which she took gratefully before he pulled her up with him. It amazed him how soft her hands were as compared to his own calloused ones. They repeated this process several times, getting higher and higher as they did so until they were high enough to overlook the forest._

_"There it is," he exclaimed to her excitedly, pointing to a bulky mass of cyan and crimson in the distance. "It's the Pokémon… Salamence."_

Brendan Birch jolted awake and shot up, narrowly catching himself before his forehead collided with the bottom of the top bunk. It was that dream again. The dream that left him awake with cold sweat in the early hours of the morning. No, scratch that. That _nightmare_. What was it? Fourth time this week? What time was it, anyway?

He reached into the emerald sling bag at the side of his bed, grabbing a hold of his PokéNav, tapping the central button as he brought it close to his face. A stream of blinding light flashed against his face as he glanced at the small clock at the corner. Ten past six.

Throwing the covers off his legs, he felt a sharp breeze nip at his toes. He ignored it, placing his feet against the cool ground before standing up and stretching his body. Lucas was there, in the opposite bunk, mouth agape and sleeping soundly. The teen made his way to the door, ignoring the snores of the green-haired boy he had long gotten used to as he carefully opened the metal door, allowing the dim lights to cast a long shadow against the wooden floorboards.

Slowly, he made his way to… anywhere, really. Even he didn't know where he was going. As he made his way to the top deck, he spared a glance at the Sun as it rose, casting streaks of orange across the seas of blue. The heat it radiated melted against his body, bathing him in a warm sensation. Through the corner of his eye, he noticed someone else was up here as well.

…

Leaf stifled a yawn as she squirmed in her place on the sun chair at the aptly named sun deck, casting her turquoise gaze towards the large shining orb at the edge of the ocean. The round gleaming sphere seemed to pierce through the sky, illuminating it with a warm rosy glow. Its radiance only flourished as the girl watch it climb higher as it took its place to signal the day.

She wasn't exactly wearing what would pass as suitable dressing in these conditions – accounting for the chilly air that was present at the time. Then again, a simple oversized black t-shirt and a small pair of turquoise shorts could take you pretty far, depending on your resistance to the cold.

Feeling the cold wind grip at her bare legs, she pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged at them, lacing her slender fingers at her shins and resting her chin upon her knees. Watching the Sun rising was a habit of hers ever since she was a young girl. Back in Kanto, her father would often wake her early, intent on taking her to observe it. When her younger sister was born, she too would accompany them to the outskirts of Pallet Town in the wee hours of the morning to get glimpses of the Sun rising despite their mother's disapproval. Watching it at this time felt familiar, yet different.

"It's quite something, huh?"

Turning her head to the source of the voice, her turquoise gaze rested upon the figure of Brendan, his arms crossed, looking back at her. He was dressed in a simple white t-shirt as well as grey shorts that came down to above his knees. His signature knit cap and headband adjourned his head, tilting ever so slightly to one side, revealing a messy patch of black hair sticking out from underneath. Leaf noted that the boy seemed oddly protective of what was under the hat, going far enough to actually sleep with it still on. She was about to ask him about it but paused and gave him a friendly smile instead. He didn't seem to be the type that would tell her, after all.

"Yeah…" she replied before asking, "You're up pretty early."

The trainer looked at her amusedly, before a warm smile made its way to his face, his crimson eyes glowing under the effects of the rays of sunlight. "I couldn't sleep," he stated, shrugging before adding, "What about you? Is Wally's snoring keeping you up?"

"No," the girl replied after producing a small chuckle. "I like to watch the sunrise. I find it pretty."

"Mm, may I?" he asked, pointing a thumb to the empty space at the edge of the sun chair.

Watching Leaf nodding slowly, he made his way to the spot where Leaf's legs had rested before, sitting at the edge to drink in the sunrise as he inhaled deeply. The two teens sat there quietly for several minutes, the only sound being gentle crash of the waves before one of them decided to break the silence.

"I saw your appeal yesterday. That was some combination by the pool. You're pretty good. Should I have to worry about you in the Contests I enter?" Leaf asked playfully.

"Ha, luckily for you, the answer is no. I'm taking a break from Contests for a while to focus on my battling. I'll be concentrating on the Johto League for now. Maybe some other time, though. I'd like to see if you can keep up," he replied, shrugging as he produced a cocky grin.

"Wait, so you don't think I can take you?" she asked, her voice playfully challenging him. "I'll have you know, I managed to reach the top four in the Kanto Grand Festival," she stated proudly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Brendan rolled his eyes playfully and averted his gaze for a moment. Reaching under his headband, he pulled out a distinct Ribbon emblazoned with a golden-rimmed green star at the Center. Grinning, he passed it to Leaf who scrutinized it meticulously.

"This… This is a Grand Festival Ribbon!" she exclaimed, handing the Ribbon back. A look of disbelief swept across her face before she put on an impressed smile. "You're a Top Coordinator already!"

Brendan merely shrugged at her shrill voice, taking back the Ribbon to slip back under his headband, readjusting his knit cap on his head before flashing a grin.

"No wonder your Milotic was so good," Leaf continued, getting up to bow to him playfully. "Say, if you're so great at Contests, why aren't you focusing on being a Coordinator?"

"Contests are… just a hobby for me. Battling is my real passion. Besides, I already won one Grand Festival. I don't really intend to go beyond that," he replied calmly and paused before adding, "Anyway, I think my dad would throw a fit if I suddenly decided to participate in Contests full-time."

She nodded empathetically. "I know what you mean. My dad wanted me to become a trainer like he was. I barely managed to convince him to allow me to be a Coordinator because I told him there were battle rounds but I didn't really mention how they worked."

Brendan nodded slowly. Coordinating was a fairly new concept in Kanto and Johto, recently being incorporated from other regions. Most adults probably did not think very much or highly of them, preferring battles over Contests as they did not experience them in their youth.

"Anyway, you've been to Johto before, haven't you? What are the Coordinators like?" Leaf asked, perking up.

"I've only been there once when I was really young so I haven't actually seen Contests in Johto yet but I doubt has that many experienced Coordinators. It _is_ fairly new in the region, after all." The girl smiled at this. "It's the visiting Coordinators you have to worry about because I overheard that the Wallace Cup is being held there this year too," he continued, looking back at the sunrise.

"The Wallace Cup?" Leaf had heard of Wallace. What Coordinator hadn't? He was a famous Contest Master and the current champion of the Hoenn region, Steven Stone having renounced the title some time ago to… pursue archeology or something.

"Yeah. It's a huge inter-regional competition held every year. Coordinators from every region will travel to wherever it's held. The winner of the tournament will receive the Aqua Ribbon which counts towards any region's Grand Festival," the boy explained patiently, his gaze still directed to the sunrise.

Leaf considered his words. The Aqua Ribbon certainly sounded tempting. To be able to enter any Grand Festival with it could be useful. She didn't even have to use it in Johto. It could be saved for future use in case she ever needed it though it wouldn't be easy to win. But what did she have to lose anyway?

"Alright," she decided. "I'll have to enter the Wallace Cup. I'm coming for that Aqua Ribbon."

"Well, good luck," Brendan wished. "Surely, it won't be easy but if you're as good as you say you are…"

"Wait you heard that?" Leaf cried, her cheeks flushing a light tint of red, shocked that she had said it aloud.

"We should get going soon," Brendan chuckled as he turned back to face her. "The ship should be docking around eleven and we still haven't packed."

* * *

**Ferry from Sinnoh to Johto-9:22**

Wally Woods dug into his backpack, fishing out several items and throwing them onto his bed. His emerald eyes gleamed with determination before widening as they fell on a folded pile of clothing at the bottom. Reaching in, in one swift motion, he pulled it out and flicked it in order to unfold a deep green turtleneck short-sleeved shirt. Pulling it over his head, he fitted it onto his body before running his thumb over the lime green buttons at his chest. His pale hands reached under his arms, fastening the straps that lay at his ribs before jumping off the bunk and landing loudly on the wooden floor_._ He quickly performed a clumsy catwalk before spinning around dramatically, facing Brendan.

"How does it look," he asked with a grin.

"Not bad," the boy replied, placing his glasses onto his face. He rubbed his chin and gave a thoughtful look, walking around the boy. Instructing Wally to raise his arms, he circled him several more times before coming to a stop.

"How does it feel?" he asked, his gaze still fixated on the odd shirt.

"It's a little snug. Especially around the ribs. And the chest feels pretty stiff," he replied mildly as he rapped his knuckles over the chest.

"It's supposed to be tight. That'll keep the thing in place so the respirator will fit over your face smoothly. It's stored in the chest, by the way. That's why it's so stiff," he replied proudly.

"I don't mean to interrupt but what exactly is that supposed to be?"

The two boys turned to the source of the voice, their gaze resting on Leaf at the doorway to the washroom, her arms crossed. She had changed into her usual turquoise shirt and mini skirt though her hat was noticeably absent from her head. Her waves of hair was tied into a simple ponytail, long strands unaccounted for hanging loosely at the sides.

"I call it my respirator suit," Wally said proudly, placing his hands on his hips in a dramatic fashion. "Helps to deal with my asthma."

As if to emphasize the statement, the green-haired breeder pushed a button at his chest with his thumb. A swift _click _could be heard as a sleek black respirator shot up from the inside of the turtleneck collar, fitting itself over the boy's mouth and nose in one swift motion. A light _hiss _could be heard as Wally breathed in deeply. The boy relaxed and exhaled before turning to face the Coordinator who stood staggered.

"So, what do you think?" he asked. "Brendan sew it together."

"I think… It looks pretty good," she complimented, giving him a thumbs up. Fastening her fingers around the band at the elastic of her head, she pulled it put in one swift motion, allowing her waves of auburn hair to sway around wildly as she ran her hand through it. "Why is it a suit though?"

Wally shrugged, slapping another button at his chest, retracting the mask smoothly. "Pshh, because it's cool," he answered as if it was obvious. "Also, it saves space in my backpack. So we can carry more stuff."

At this, he motioned to his backpack which lay at its side on his bed. Various potions, Poké balls, as well as a first aid kit leaking out messily.

The cabin door swung open to reveal Lucas standing at the steel doorway, a large filled plastic bag rustling in his hands. Upon awakening earlier, he had uncharacteristically made a mad scramble to shower first before dashing to the food court, intending on getting breakfast before they ran out. After all, the meals on inter-regional cruise ships such as this one were said to be excellent in travelling guides, scoring a perfect 5 stars from esteemed food critics.

He dragged his sneakers across the wooden floorboards as he walked, producing miniature squeaks you would expect on a basketball court. Dropping the plastic bag in the middle of the room, he collapsed onto his bed and shut his eyes. An uncharacteristically grim look was plastered on his face which perturbed the other three researchers.

"That's all they had left," he groaned, an air of melancholy surrounding his words.

Wally anxiously approached the bag, opening it to stick a hand inside. Groping around, he felt his hand clasp on a soft, smooth item before he pulled it out swiftly.

"It's a sandwich," he cried with an astonished grin. Surely enough, a triangle-shaped sandwich lay in grasp, trails of peanut butter and jelly oozing out from inside of the clear plastic wrapper. He voraciously tore the plastic wrapping aside before sinking his teeth into the sandwich, relishing the flavors that accentuated each other so well.

Brendan opened the bag to examine the contents, a muddled look on his face. "They're _all _sandwiches."

"That's all they had left," Lucas repeated, looking up as he pulled his lips into a frown.

"It'll do for now. Grab your stuff. We're about to get going," Brendan announced.

Approximately ten minutes later, the four teens had briskly packed all their belongings from the shared cabin. Brendan had insisted on making the beds, causing a groan from Wally as he dashed around the room, smoothening out the bed sheets before admiring his work with a proud grin.

"Neat freak," Wally had teased.

The quartet made their way to the ship's lounge to await their arrival, walking around aimlessly in the crowded lounge before claiming four empty seats. The lounge was dimly lit, providing the aura of ambience and warmth. Armchairs gathered in small circles around coffee tables to allow travelers to converse or interact with one another though a few seemed to have been pulled out of place. A small bar was at one side of the room, the clinking of glasses present as it blended in with the commotion of chatter as well as the occasional bellow of laughter. Overhead, a large chandelier swayed according to the gentle rocking of the ship against the waves, allowing small shadows to dance gently across the floor.

Brendan took a nap, lacing his fingers behind his head as he shut his eyes, awaiting arrival. A new adventure was about to begin but for now, he would rather just catch up on some sleep.

…

The intercom system in the lounge buzzed loudly, waking Brendan from his thoughts as the monotonous voice of a stern man pierced through the air in a forcefully formal manner. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are pleased to announce that we are approaching port of route 27 as on schedule. This is a short walk to New Bark Town where you can check in to the local Pokémon Center or proceed further down the path if you intend to travel. The current temperature outside is at twenty one degrees Celsius and the current weather is cloudy. Please gather at the right side of the ship immediately to disembark as we are about to arrive soon. Please do not leave any of your belongings on the ship for we will not be held responsible for your personal loss."

To Wally, it seemed like an eternity before the intercom went off. He shot up to his legs, eager to go quickly before the line to get off the ship became too long. Lucas looked up to him curiously, a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. The boy had singlehandedly finished off the entire bag of sandwiched, leaving nothing but a crumpled plastic bag that now lay in a nearby dustbin. Brendan had seemed to have woken up from a trance of some sort, jolting up from the sound of the intercom. He hastily gathered his senses when Wally shot him an impatient stare, standing with him and cheerily announcing, "Let's go."

"Finally," Leaf moaned as she slipped a Coordinating magazine back into a nearby stand, idly stretching her bare arms over her head. "Let's get going then."

* * *

**New Bark Town, Johto-11:45**

It had taken almost half an hour to disembark the ship, the quartet easily getting lost in the large crowd during the ships arrival. The four had somehow separated by accident, each being rushed into different directions from the charging crowd who pushed and shoved their way towards the exit.

Lucas, who had somehow gotten off first, stumbled around aimlessly at the port for a few moments before leaning against a nearby tree where he would be in plain sight, waiting for the others under its shade as he observed the local weather. For what, he did not know. Maybe he was just bored. Or was it excitement? Curiosity? Probably an odd mixture of all three.

Casting a glance towards the sky, the young researcher noted that Johto's climate was noticeably a lot warmer than the chilly Sinnoh weather he was so accustomed to. Currently, it seemed to be in a state of autumn as the swaying leaves in trees were decorated by various shades of red, orange and yellow as they spiraled lightly against the wind. A sudden breeze would pick up every now and then, causing the boy to cast a hand firmly at the top of his head to prevent his beret from flying off.

Leaf was next off the ship, flashing a grin to the meek boy, waving before making her way towards him. She chattered excitedly and the boy only responded with silent nods as he kept an eye out for their fellow researchers. The breeze would return again, barely flipping her skirt which caused her to curse in irritation. Lucas would nervously avert his gaze every time this happened, pretending to either look at the ground or gaze at the clouds. As his father had told him, it wasn't polite to stare.

Brendan had emerged from the large crowd several moments later. Apologizing to what seemed like the twentieth person he had accidentally bumped into; he shuffled along quietly towards the duo, carefully checking his pockets and belt to ensure he did not get pickpocketed. When the wind picked up again, Lucas instinctively turned to the sky. He looked back and saw that Leaf's face was red and had punched the other boy, clearly annoyed. A look of innocence was on his face as he rubbed the sore arm, spluttering to explain himself.

Last to exit, Wally saw them from the ramp and charged through the large crowd, knocking over a rather large hiker as well as several ace trainers before ploughing into the three, gripping them into a tight hug. His actions had caused a sort of domino effect on the exiting crowd as everyone else seemed to barrel over for one reason or another.

"Let's… not get separated ever again," he had said, panting heavily. Casting a glance back at the crowd where several people gave him a simultaneous murderous glance, he added, "I think we should go now."

Lucas silently thanked Arceus. People like he and Brendan would only get awkward and avert their gaze. If the wind had picked up again, he was sure that Wally would have a full-on _nosebleed_.

After a short walk to New Bark Town, the four rather quickly entered the local Pokémon Center. The establishment was packed, as they should have expected, having recently disembarked a ship full of passengers nearby. Brendan and Leaf chose to wait in a line whereas Wally and Lucas plopped into a nearby couch at the lounge, hoping to catch up on lost sleep. After waiting in line for half an hour, they were cordially greeted by a rather fatigued Nurse Joy. Nevertheless, she chose to maintain her cheery disposition despite her hectic schedule.

"Hi, may I ask where the next Pokémon Gym is?" Brendan asked, using the most courteous tone he could muster. Nurse Joys always had the effect of making trainers feel polite. Maybe it was something about how friendly they were that people felt guilty if they responded in any other way.

"Well, yes. The closest Gym should be in Violet City which is quite some distance from here. You'll want to go west until you reach Cherrygrove and from there head north. Violet City is quite a trip so I suggest you rest up at Cherrygrove," she chirped.

"Also, do you know where Contest Passes are issued?" Leaf inquired.

"Of course. I believe you can get one at any Contest Hall in Johto. The next one should be in the Cherrygrove City I mentioned before. Just head west."

The two teens quickly thanked her and stepped aside to allow her to deal with the next customer. Leaf went over to join the other two boys at the lounge whereas Brendan made his way to a video phone, dialing in an all too familiar number before waiting as the device rang.

He did not have to wait long as the screen flashed to life, displaying what could be made out to be a dark cave. Brendan raised a bemused eyebrow as the camera zoomed out of the cave, revealing it to actually be the nostril of a bearded burly man, a perplexed look adorning his features.

"HELLO?" he called out, voice disrupted by static. "IS THIS THING ON?"

"It's working, dad," Brendan chuckled. "You don't need to be so close. Back up a bit." His father never was the best with technology. Despite being a world-renowned professor, Robert Birch always was a technologically challenged man.

"Like this?" he voiced, taking several steps backwards as he scratched his unruly hair. Now he was too far.

"A _little_ closer…" When he was within range, Brendan stated, "Perfect."

"How's it going, son?" Professor Birch grinned. "You met the others yet?"

"Yeah, we're actually in New Bark Town now and… wait, you _knew _they would be sending others?" Brendan questioned, his eyes widening. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His old man let out a hearty laugh. "Well, son, I wanted to keep it a surprise. I mean since you kept yourself alone in Hoenn for almost a year I thought it would be a nice surprise for you to travel with others your age. I mean, all you have is… _Wally._" At the mention of the boy's name, the man grimaced.

Brendan never understood what his father had against the breeder though he suspected it had something to do with the time his father was chased through almost three routes by a wild Skarmory that Wally _claimed _to be able to handle. Its bladelike talons had managed to grasp a lock of the man's hair before he was able to leap into a pond where he waited for hours until the avian Pokémon grew tired of waiting (it would rust, after all). The Flying/Steel-type was able to claim a memento – a rather thick lock of his hair. Until this day, the man still parted his hair in a way to cover the bald spot created by the steel bird.

"So, what are the other kids like?" the man asked, his face practically beaming.

"Oh, they're umm…" Brendan searched his mind for words before settling on, "…interesting?"

The man let out another hearty laugh. "Well, I can't wait to meet them. I hope they visit sometime. So, are you really going to go for the eight badge run?"

"Uhh, yeah. I can't wait to get back to training again. I'm sure my Pokémon are really excited too."

"Mm, you sure you don't want me to send any of your other Pokémon? I mean, I hear the Gym Leaders in Johto can be quite a challenge."

"No, I think I'm good," Brendan assured, casting a glance to the six Poké balls at his belt. "I have my best six here with me and I've been adjusting their move sets so I think I came prepared."

"If you say so, son. Well, I guess you should be on your way then. Oh, and be sure to visit Professor Elm; he and I are old buddies. I'm sure he can lend a hand in your research. His lab is in the town you're in now. You can't miss it."

"I'll be sure to drop by. See ya, dad."

"Bye, son. Make me proud."

The screen faded out, leaving Brendan staring at his own reflection. Realizing he did not know exactly where the lab was, he made his way back to the rear of the line, intent on bothering Nurse Joy once more.

* * *

**Elm's Laboratory, New Bark Town, Johto-13:34**

The first thing Lucas noticed was the wind turbine. It wasn't that the steel construction was out of place. In fact, most of New Bark Town was rather windy (as the map description suggested), owing to the fact that it was located near the sea. It was admirable that the residents opted for more eco-friendly means of energy but that just wasn't it.

It wasn't moving.

He ran through what he knew. Wind turbines such as these possessed brakes within them to lock them down at night whenever winds are too strong such as during the current monsoon seasons. This prevents overloading the grid. Surely a research laboratory would use a lot of power to run its machinery. So why would it be off at this time when the winds were rather mild?

Lucas shook himself free from his thoughts. No, he had an amazing ability to overthink things. It's probably nothing. Maybe the man just forgot to turn it back on.

"Professor?" Brendan called, peering through the transparent glass, attempting to look pass the window blinds. He called out again, lightly rapping his knuckles against the door, causing it to creak open much to their surprise.

The interior of the lab was completely unlit and seemed deserted. Though it maintained a clean and pristine appearance, the barest of sunlight shining into the lab to reveal slips of paper scattered all over a nearby worktable as well as several reports and photographs taped to the walls. Some of the books had fallen off one of the shelves at the side, displaying a simple illustrations of a green Pokémon and several runes.

Before the teens could say anything, a wild breeze blasted its way into the room, scattering the research papers onto the floor. Instinctively, Brendan rushed in, beginning to gather them in hand. Wally sighed and followed suit while Leaf began walking around, examining the lab.

"Celebi, the Time Pokémon," Wally read out loud. He continued reading the rest of the article in a hushed tone, muttering incoherently to himself. For a while, that was the only sound in the lab besides the occasional rustling of paper but it soon died down as he reached the conclusion of the article and tucked it back into the pile.

Lucas nervously scratched the back of his head, shuffling his way inside. The air was warm and dry. Picking up the fallen book, he began skimming through the pages, stopping at the one that was open earlier and began reading.

_The Ilex Forest Shrine has been around for as long as people can remember. Located in Ilex Forest, its namesake, in the Johto region, nobody truly knows when exactly it was made or why it came to be. Regardless, many consider it a symbol of good luck to ward off evil spirits. Some even say that the shrine is linked to the legendary Celebi who-_

"Hey, you kids. You shouldn't be in here."

Lucas' head shot up, resting his gaze upon a lean man at the doorway to a backroom. His hunched body was wrapped in a loose-fitting lab coat, casting a spider-like shadow across the tiled flooring. He wore a particularly miffed expression, his forehead crinkling under his buzz cut as he stared at them, expecting a reply. "Well?"

"Hey, it's ok," Wally spoke, raising a hand to show he was harmless. In his other hand, he held the stack of papers towards him as he gave him a friendly look. "I'm with Professor Birch, from the Hoenn region. We're just here to see Professor Elm and we'll be on our way."

"Yeah? Well, Professor Elm isn't in at the moment so I'm going to have to ask you to leave," he stated coldly, snatching the reports from his hand, muttering, "Stupid kids."

"I'd advise you watch what you're saying," Brendan stated, meeting his stare as he stepped past Wally, his gaze fierce with anger.

"I don't have to 'watch' anything, kid. Why don't you save me the trouble and scram," he snarled back, unfazed as he began skimming through the reports.

Lucas noticed the boy reach for a Poké ball but Wally quickly placed a grip onto his shoulder, urging him out the door. On the way, he grabbed Leaf by the hand and led them out. Lucas took the cue and followed suit, not taking a second to glance back.

"So sorry for taking up your time," Wally called apologetically as he led them out.

* * *

**Route 29, Johto-13:53**

Route 29 was a fairly simple pathway, seemingly extending to only one direction. A small rest stop was at the middle, leading the way to another path though the teens ignored it, choosing to follow the Nurse Joy's instructions.

Occasionally, they would be attacked by a wild Pokémon until it got rather troublesome, Wally was letting his Mightyena lead the way, allowing it to make use of its Intimidate ability to scare them off. The wolf-like creature would keep ahead, flashing its rows of malignant teeth and snarling menacingly towards any Rattata or Pidgey that poked its head out from the tall grass, daring them to try anything.

"I could have taken him," Brendan had muttered darkly, his eyes focused on the path before him.

Wally only watched him curiously and responded, "Maybe. But it would've been pointless. He's just an aide, Brendan. Besides, Elm wasn't there. Fighting with another aide would only get us in trouble."

"Yeah…" he sighed, his temper cooling.

Lucas pondered telling them about the wind turbine but opted to keep it to himself. It would only rile Brendan up even more and it didn't even prove anything. Elm wasn't around so they didn't keep the power on. Seemed simple enough.

Mightyena was leading now, Wally a few feet behind him to prevent him running off on his own. Brendan had already drifted to the back, dragging his feet along with his hands in his pockets. Beside him, Lucas could see Leaf admiring the scenery as she walked absentmindedly, fingers interlaced behind her back.

Lucas had to admit, it wasn't drastically different from Sinnoh though there was the occasional contrast in appearance such as the smell of freshly cut grass that was so apparent in the air. Noting that the weather was starting to feel a little warmer, he tugged at the scarlet scarf that coiled around his neck, loosening it to allow room for his neck to breathe.

The rest of the trip passed by in silence; everyone was possessed by their own thoughts. By the time they approached the end of the route, a small sign announcing their approach to Cherrygrove City, Brendan's temper had cooled considerably.

**Cherrygrove City, Johto-14:05**

The route led to a small city by the seaside, the waves undulated as they crashed calmly against the shore. Most of the houses were decorated with salmon tiled roofs, which seemed to match the pink, orange and purple flowers that were planted rather neatly in several rows around the houses. The scent of the flowers mixed with the salty breeze of the ocean producing an odd calm within the small city.

"It's so pretty," Leaf exclaimed in delight as she set foot in the city. Shading her eyes from the bright sunlight, she peered further into the town, her lips curved into a smile as her turquoise gaze rested upon the large pink dome-shaped building that was erected proudly at the Center of the city.

"There it is," she pointed out excitedly. "The Contest Hall."

Wally produced a loud sneeze, prompting the other three to gaze towards him, concerned with his condition. The breeder merely activated his respirator suit, the dark mask fitting over his pale face, allowing him to breathe deeply as he raised a hand in dismissal. His Mightyena licked his hand anxiously, whimpering. Wally petted it on the head and returned it in a flash of red.

"Let's go check out that Hall," he stated, his voice cheerfully muffled from behind the mask. "Can't wait to see the babes."

Upon setting foot within the Contest Hall, Wally retracted the respirator mask. He rubbed his hands in glee as his emerald eyes surveyed the female Coordinators within the building. Before anyone could say anything, he strutted off, boldly approaching a blue haired Coordinator with a Misdreavus at her side with the intention of striking up a conversation. Brendan calmly approached a youngster grooming his Sentret and slipped on his glasses to closely inspect the small Pokémon despite the trainer's peculiar stare. Lucas merely shrugged and sluggishly made his way to the Poffin-making area and examined several pastries, scratching his chin in thought.

Realizing she had been left alone, Leaf strode towards the counter, her hair trailing behind her. The blonde woman behind the counter seemed to exude an aura of elation as she producing a cheery smile upon seeing Leaf's figure approaching her.

"Hi, I'd like to register for the Pokémon Contests." Leaf said as she beamed back. "Is this where I get my Contest Pass?"

"Of course." The woman reached for a form from behind the counter, bending over to grasp at the sheet before a perplexed reaction adorned her face. Casting an curious gaze at the girl, she quickly asked, "And where's your partner?"

"Partner?"

"Why, yes. The Contests for this season are all Double Performances. All Coordinators must enter in pairs and compete with a Pokémon each as a team."

Leaf felt her heart sink at the statement. She didn't know that. How was she to find a partner at this time?

"But, I didn't know about that. I don't have a partner. I came here to participate on my own," she groaned.

"Well, I'm sorry but like I said, every Contest this season is for pairs. You'll just have to find one. Maybe someone in here will team up with you," she suggested, casting an open hand towards the crowd.

Leaf bit her lip, turning away from the counter to survey the other Coordinators. Everyone else had already seemed to be in pairs. Spotting Wally still talking to the earlier girl, she stumbled over to them, the yellow messenger bag at her side flaying wildly. She pushed him to the side vehemently and stared into the eyes of the blue-haired Coordinator.

"Hey, I wasn't done!" Wally cried in anguish.

"I'm sorry this is sudden but I need a partner," she blurted out to the girl. "Will you help me?"

The girl simply giggled and shook her head. The teal pigtails at her sides that were kept in place by a swimming cap seemed to bounce exuberantly as she did so. Leaf noted that the girl seemed to be one that spent excessive time on their appearance.

"Sorry," she chimed, raising her slender fingers to her lips, white sleeves sliding down her forearm. "But I already have a partner."

"What about you Wally? Want to be my partner?" she asked, turning to the sulking green-haired boy.

"Coordinating isn't really my thing. Like I said, I'm more of a breeding guy," he answered with a shrug before adding a quick, "Sorry."

Leaf groaned and walked away, instantly locating Lucas as she spun him around and placed both hands on his shoulder. The boy let out a large cry of surprise, dropping the tart in his hand, allowing it to splatter onto the decorative pink tiles before letting out a staggered, "Oh, it's you."

"Lucas buddy," she called in an amiable manner. "I need a-"

Before she could finish, the stagnant boy raised a sudden hand, dismissing her as if he already knew what she had to say.

"Sorry," he muttered, shrugging apologetically. "I'm not really a Coordinator. I've tried it once. Wasn't very good at it."

Leaf released the boy who returned to purchase another tart. The girl placed her hands against the sides of her head. This trip was wasted. Now, she was further from competing in the Johto Grand Festival. Unhinging her mouth and tightly shutting her eyes, she felt urge to let out a scream but before she could bring herself to do so, another loud girlish shriek pierced through the hall.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she heard a different voice cry.

The first voice again. "I'm doing you a favor! There is no way your Pokémon has a chance of excelling in Contests in its current condition. It's untrimmed and it hasn't been groomed. You can't seriously be considering of participating. Now make some room, trainer. Allow me to demonstrate what a true mane looks like."

"Hey, wait!"

A small crowd gathered around a spectacle at the middle of the Contest Hall where a flash of red flashed. Pushing her way through the thick crowd of bodies, Leaf widened her eyes as she watched Brendan, standing there looking rather prideful. A large Shiftry stood next to him, looking rather annoyed as the boy petted its snowy mane.

"This is Popo," he announced proudly though the Pokémon shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the nickname. "My Shiftry from the Hoenn region. Note the pristine condition his mane resides in so that it flows elegantly in the slightest of breezes. Popo, a demonstration if you will."

At this, the Wicked Pokémon rolled his eyes and flicked one of its fan-like hands, creating a small breeze. Sure enough, its snowy-white mane danced against the wind, dancing softly as his trainer smirked much to the Pokémon's own vexation.

"How did you-"

"Grooming should be one of the prime obligations of any aspiring Coordinator," Brendan announced proudly. "That is what Master Wallace told me. I am Brendan, son of Professor Birch and Wallace's only disciple."

Several jaws dropped at the statement including Leaf's own. Wallace didn't have any disciples. At least, none that anybody had ever heard of. The man's skill was legendary and to be able to train under him should be such a privilege though the man had outright refused the pleas of hundreds of Coordinators.

"He's cute, isn't he?" Leaf heard a voice ask. She glanced to her side, her gaze resting on the blue-haired Coordinator who seemed to giggle uncontrollably as she raised a hand to her lips.

"I'm Marina by the way," she continued.

"Yeah, I'm… uh, Leaf," she replied, her eyes fixated on Brendan as he continued his spectacle.

This must be him as a Coordinator. It was definitely a striking change as compared to his earlier self that she had witnessed. He was noticeably a lot more… flamboyant in this state of mind. His movements were graceful and elegant, almost identical to Wallace's own. Either he was telling the truth or he was just another obsessive fan, though the latter seemed more likely.

"Now, if you will allow me a few moments with your Sentret," Brendan inquired, spinning a pair of scissors he produced out of seemingly nowhere. "I believe a proper grooming is long overdue."

"Aw, crap. Not again," Another voice cried out. Leaf peered over the shoulder of a burly man to spot Wally pushing his way through the crowd. He stumbled over and clamped a hand over Brendan's mouth, silencing him before dragging his struggling figure towards the exit of the Contest Hall. "I'm sorry, folks. My friend's a little delusional here; spouts all sorts of crazy stuff. Um… carry on with your day."

The breeder had managed to drag the other boy outside the Hall in a fit of nervous laughter, leaving the crowd confused as to what had just happened. The Shiftry just stood there awkwardly before carefully picking up the pair of scissors his trainer dropped and pursuing them outside the Hall, nimbly dashing out on its stilt-like feet. The crowd murmured among themselves curiously before dispersing to attend to their own business, everything quickly forgotten.

"Well, I'll see you around, Leaf," Marina chimed at her side. "I have to find out where my partner disappeared to. Maybe we'll compete against each other someday."

"Yeah…"

The girl disappeared into the crowd as Leaf gave her a brief nod, still stunned by the occurrence before she hastily made her way out of the Contest Hall after the two boys and the Pokémon.

…

"What the heck was that?" Wally exclaimed, thrusting his arms into the air.

Brendan stared up at him, looking ashamed before turning his gaze towards the ground where he crunched a shoe against wet gravel.

Leaf had made her way outside the Contest Hall where they found them in a small alleyway. Lucas was already there, watching Brendan leaning against a brick wall remorsefully, looking as though he had the world on his shoulders as Wally frantically yelled at him.

"I thought you were done with Contests!" Wally cried. "You said you were just here for research and the Gyms. I mean, I was totally chatting up this chick. Almost got her number and everything when you had to do your thing again and mess it up… _again_."

"I know…" Brendan replied defensively, his crimson gaze shooting up. "I just… I can't help it. Did you _see _the state that Sentret was in? It was unacceptable. Heh, that was practically charity."

"And what was with using Wallace's name like that? I thought he told you to keep silent about that."

"Yeah, he did. I just… got a little carried away, that's all."

"Wait, wait, wait. Wallace?" Leaf interrupted, eyes widening. "Your master… was Wallace?"

"Who's Wallace?" Lucas asked.

Brendan let out a small sigh. "Wallace is my master, a Master Coordinator, the current Hoenn Champion and ex-Sootopolis Gym Leader. Very few people know about this. He prefers to keep it a secret so every Coordinator wouldn't bother him to mentor them as well. I met him during his Gym Leader days and trained under him a while ago."

Leaf nodded her head, dumfounded. This was too much to take in one day. Wallace had a secret apprentice and he was standing right before her just when she needed a partner. The PokéGods had certainly shined their light upon her on this day. A large grin was plastered upon her features as she thanked Mew, blurting out, "Hey, I need a partner for the Johto Grand Festival. Would you care to join me?"

"No," he answered abruptly. Brendan averted his gaze, refusing to speak any more. He had already made up his mind before she thought to ask. Leaf was about to speak again when Wally interrupted.

"Listen, guys," Wally said. "What about we just get something to eat first? I'm starved and this back alley is starting to smell weird."

…

The quartet made their way to a modestly furnished café Lucas had been eyeing where they settled on a late lunch. Leaf had continued to pester at Brendan, begging him to partner up with her even though he repeatedly refused. Even after their orders arrived, she continued to beg, taking small sips at her soda in between before attempting to ask again.

"Please…" she begged again beside her, using the sweetest voice she could muster as well as flashing a cute expression upon her face.

"No," he stated for what he counted as the forty-sixth time. The indignation was slowly creeping its way into his voice despite his best efforts to suppress it. Gritting his teeth, he stirred his coffee noisily, listening to the metal spoon clinking sharply against the porcelain cup.

Wally looked on, amused, stifling a laugh every now and then. He can't remember Brendan having met anyone like this. In a way, the two were quite similar as she seemed to be almost as stubborn as he was. He reached a hand for another slice of pizza, only to register that Lucas had finished most of it already. The boy certainly seemed satiated, disregarding the commotion that was happening before him as he cheerfully munched on another French fry.

"Please, be my partner," Leaf asked him again, her watery blue eyes traced with tears, making them even more watery. Her voice trembling, she lightly placed a hand onto his arm causing him to wince slightly.

"Nice try, but the answer is still no," he answered again in a dry tone, attempting to ignore the contact. It was no wonder why Gary seemed so annoyed with her. He was never one to turn down a pretty girl. She must drive him crazy, using her looks to her advantage like this. Wait, no. He wasn't calling her attractive. It's just…

"Oh, come on. Why not?" she cried frustrated. The façade immediately subsided, allowing her to scowl angrily in his direction.

"Like I said, I already have a lot to focus on. Research _and _the Johto League? It's not the easiest multitask in history."

Leaf let out a loud groan and leaned her head against the back of her chair, causing other patrons of the café to look over in curiosity. Brendan shifted uncomfortably but maintained a steely resolve. Rolling his eyes, he brought his cup up to his lips and sipped at the warm liquid.

"_Please_, this means a lot to me. I need you." Leaf murmured. "This is important to me and right now, you're the only one who can help out."

This time, she had seemed to sincerely mean it. The change in tone as well as her words had caused a small blush to creep its way onto Brendan's cheeks. That wasn't what she meant. He barely even knew her. They were acquaintances, nothing more. And heck, why was it so hot in here? Was the AC even on?

Looking up, he hoped nobody saw his reaction. Leaf's mind was obviously elsewhere was watching a slice of pizza at her plate, prodding at it absentmindedly with a fork. She reminded him so much of _her. _The clear, gleaming blue eyes. The auburn shade of hair. It all made him feel even more uncomfortable.

Lucas had still not seemed to notice anything, cheerfully finishing off a plate of fries with the appetite of a Munchlax. However, Wally was looking straight at him, a playful grin plastered upon his face. "I'll do the reports," he mouthed with a wink.

"Fine," he muttered, sighing heavily and turning to face Leaf. "But, you're doing the harder jobs later."

Leaf did not comprehend what he had said, her hearing cutting off when he had said 'Fine', blatantly ignoring the rest of what he mentioned. Nevertheless, she squealed in delight, throwing her arms around the male trainer's neck.

"We're gonna do great," she exclaimed, her forehead pressed against his blushing face before adding, "Partner."

Wally flashed a thumbs up signal towards him when he was sure the girl was not looking and chuckled when he glowered back. The breeder laced his fingers behind his head, sitting back against the sturdy wooden chair. "Well, we better register you two for tomorrow. I hear the next Contest is then."

* * *

**Yeah, Brendan's Shiftry is named Popo. I know that that name is actually for Ruby's Castform but I found it strangely appropriate for Shiftry. Anyways, thanks again for the two anonymous Guests for the comments. Really motivates me a lot :) Again, if you find any errors, let me know. It's much appreciated. Thanks!**


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